A Turn of Events
by EEBinx
Summary: "You have touched the Forbidden Fruit, Pet," he said."Taste the fruit, Eve." Then he lightly kissed her hand. She swallowed, looking from her hand to his stormy eyes. "Are you the fruit or the serpent?" she asked breathlessly. AU, EWE, some characters OCC. Please R&R :-) NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1: Strange Stares

*note* Not I, but J.K. Rowling, owns these characters. I just never liked a good story to end… or how some things turned out… and so my story branches off from the genius that is J.K. I'm picking from HBP. The storyline base starts thus: Snape participated in the Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix LeStrange performed it. Harry went to recruit Professor Slughorn with Dumbledore who's hand has mysteriously blackened and withered. Harry stayed with the Weasleys over the summer, along with Hermione. The Weasley family and said guests went to Diagon Alley to purchase their school supplies and visit Fred and George's shop with Hagrid as added protection. And so our story picks up with their arrival.

Chapter 1: Strange Stares (Ginny)

"I think we should start with Flourish and Blott's, then we can go to Madam Malkin's; all of you have grown- Ron and Harry look like they've got stretching jinxes put on them and Ginny and Hermione's robes are a little too tight in places," said Mrs. Weasley.

"Yes, Dear. Quite right," said Mr. Weasley. They made their way to the bookstore passing many shops with darkened windows covered in the Ministry's purple-poster suggestions of protecting the wizarding community against the dark forces.

"I'll wait out 'ere, keep an eye out. I don' fit too easily in there," said Hagrid nodding to the group at large.

"We'll be out in a minute, then Hagrid," replied Mr. Weasley as Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth to argue. "It'll be fine, Molly."

"Oh, alright then, let's be quick about it!" she said nervously.

They trudged into the cramped bookstore pulling out their book lists and split up to begin searching the shelves. The clerk was jumpy, but helpful. He found them the books on their respective lists and with a twitchy smile and nervous wave to the lot of them, the group was done and ready to continue their shopping within a mere half-an-hour.

"Okay, now on to Madam Malkin's," Mrs. Weasley directed.

As they followed her and Mr. Weasley, who were talking in low voices, down the nearly empty cobblestone street, with Hagrid bringing up the rear keeping an eye out, Ginny pointed to their destination as two blonde people left the shop.

"Ironic that of all the Hogwarts students we would come across today and it's Draco and his Mum," she said shaking her head with a look of derision on her face.

It would have been hard for him _not_ to hear her in the empty street, and so he turned his head at the sound of his name with a look of curiosity but kept walking. He found Ginny pointing at him and raised an eyebrow in confusion as his mother dragged him around the corner of the next cross street. Ginny raised her chin defiantly, but blushed slightly and dropped her hand when he had turned to look at her.

Meanwhile, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had all turned to stare at her.

"Since when do you use Malfoy's first name?" asked Harry.

"Fear of a name and all that isn't it?" she asked shrugging. When they continued to look doubtful she sighed. "Dumbledore does the same thing- you, told us he called Voldemort by his real name; Tom Riddle. He called him Tom in the Ministry of Magic. So _I_ figure all this last name business is a way of showing fear. See?" she finished with a smile.

"_Right_," said Ron, but he didn't sound convinced and looked at Harry and Hermione as though apologizing for his mad sister.

"You don't have to follow suit, it's just something I'm trying out," she sighed, crossing her arms, but Hermione looked impressed.

They went in to Madam Malkin's and stood in a line.

"These two need new robes for Hogwarts," said Mrs. Weasley pointing at Harry and Hermione, "and the two red-heads' robes are getting altered," she said nodding at Ron and Ginny.

"Yes, alright," she said pulling out her wand. "Each of you, stand on a fitting step and we'll see what we can do." She waved her wand at Harry and Hermione and instantly they each had on a new pair of black school robes that went well over their feet and hands. "Florence!" she called to a back room hidden by a black curtain. Out came a plump little woman wearing mauve robes with white lace around the collar and sleeve cuffs. Her silver hair was piled on top of her head. She had a pair of gold-rimmed reading glasses perched precariously at the end of her nose and a grandmotherly smile.

"Ah, you need some help, dears," she said bustling over to Ron and Ginny. She took out her wand and began making the adjustments needed.

Hermione leaned slightly to her left to whisper to Ginny so that Harry and Ron wouldn't hear them. "I see where you're coming from with your name idea. There's logic behind it; I think it makes sense."

"Really?" asked Ginny, her eyebrows drawing together.

"Yes, I do. It's just going to take a little while to get used to, I think."

"And Ron? Harry?"

"Even longer," Hermione said straight-faced, then she broke into fits of laughter, Ginny along with her.

"What's so funny?" asked Harry and Ron at the same time, making the girls laugh even harder.

After they were fitted and their new and altered robes were wrapped in brown paper packages, they headed down the street to find Fred and George's shop.

"It's supposed to be somewhere... around… here…" Mr. Weasley trailed off as his eyes caught sight of the very flamboyant and eye-watering signage plastered all over the bright orange corner-store that was Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

"Oh blimey!" exclaimed Ron.

"This is brilliant!" agreed Harry.

"Come on, let's go!" chorused Hermione and Ginny.

Everyone made their way across the street and in through the purple doors into the shop. It was so crowded inside that it seemed strange after coming from the deserted streets, as though the shop were a refuge. This place made Zonko's look like a toy broom compared to a Firebolt. There were barrels full of Nose-bleed Nougat, Fainting Fancies, Fever Fudge, and Canary Creams along with other variously colored trick sweets. There were also regular sweets and all sorts of other boxes and jars filling the shelves to the limit.

Everyone split up to look around. Ginny found a cage full of various shades of purple little balls of fur that made a high-pitched squeaking sound in front of the big front window, Harry found defensive magical objects, Ron found a bag and began stuffing it full of various sweets, and Hermione had found a pink box that advertised realistic thirty-minute day-dreams.

"That really is extraordinary magic," she said impressed.

"For that, Hermione, you can have one for free!" said Fred as he and George came through the crowd. "That will be three galleons and seven sickles, Ron," added George.

"But I'm your brother!" said Ron outraged.

"And that's our merchandise," retorted George. "Harry, you can have anything you want since you gave us our start-up loan. We haven't forgotten."

This was too much for Ron who gave the twins a rude hand gesture that was unfortunately seen by Mrs. Weasley. ("Ronald Weasley, if you do that again I'll jinx your fingers right off!")

Ginny wasn't paying any attention to the commotion going on around her. She was bent over looking through the cage at the little creatures bouncing around and playing with one another when someone outside stopped at the window. The movement caught her eye. It was Draco staring at the shocking display of color and outrageousness. He was reading a poster Ginny couldn't see, but she could read his lips as he read with a growing smile of incredulity that ended in a laugh as though he couldn't help himself, "Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who? You Should Be Worrying About U-No-Poo The Constipation Sensation That's Gripping The Nation!" Ginny straightened up and laughed, too . The movement caught Draco's attention and he squinted through the window and spotted Ginny. When their eyes met, he looked down as though uncomfortable, then he looked back up, nodded at her, then looked down the street where Ginny couldn't see. He glanced at her again, then quickly continued to walk down the street, his mother in hot pursuit.

Ginny stood there very confused. Two encounters in one day and Draco Malfoy had made eye contact with her three times with no resulting smirk or sneer or loud name-calling or hex threat or anything like that. He had just- walked away. Something _bizarre_ was going on.

"Hey Ginny," said George followed closely by Fred. "What's this we hear about you dating?"

"What? Who said I'm dating Draco?" she asked confused.

"Draco!" chorused the twins, shocked, "You're dating Malfoy! What happened to Dean Thomas?"

"Wait, what? I _was_ with Dean, but we broke up over the summer, a few weeks ago, actually. Sorry guys, but you're behind the times, and I don't see what business it is of yours," she answered cheekily.

"Well, you certainly seem to be going through them awfully quick, Ginny. Dean didn't even last a month!" said George.

She sighed, "If you must know, it was too weird. We got together at the very end of school then went our separate ways. We didn't really get to know each other. Honestly, I'm not bothered- there are other hinkypunks in the fog, right?" she explained apparently to their satisfaction because Fred cleared his throat and elbowed George.

"Right, well, just be careful, okay?" said George puffing out his chest, "big brothers and all."

"Well, thanks for your concern, but I'm changing the subject. What are these?" she asked pointing at the romping fluffy things.

"Pygmy Puffs. They're miniature Puffskeins," explained Fred. "Don't tell Ron, but you can have one if you like."

"Actually, it might be funny if you do," joked George. "Mum might have to hex his mouth shut, too!"

Before they realized it, the summer was gone and they were at King's Cross, disappearing onto platform 9 ¾. Ginny had gone through first with Hermione and Mr. Weasley. They had already put their trunks in a compartment, along with Crookshanks in his basket, when Harry, Ron, Mrs. Weasley, and a Ministry wizard dressed in a black muggle suit with white button-up collared shirt and black tie came after. When Ginny came back out of the Hogwarts Express, she leaned against it with one foot propped on the train behind her. She watched other students and their parents hurrying on and off the train.

She saw Luna Lovegood and waved her down, "We're in the last compartment, second to last carriage. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are there now. We saved you a seat. I'm just waiting for Neville to tell him, too."

"Oh, that's nice! It'll be like having friends!" said Luna boarding the train.

"We are friends!" called Ginny after her as she turned back to the platform to watch.

When Draco burst through the barrier, he was out of breath having taken it at a run. As he walked down to the end to the last carriage, he spotted Ginny leaning on the train. This time, Ginny didn't see him, but he watched her as he went to the last door to board the train. He saw Zacharias Smith come up to her and start talking, she didn't look happy. She shook her head, but he kept talking. The whistle sounded and everyone started boarding. In the hustle and bustle, he watched as Ginny frowned and pulled out her wand, Smith didn't get the idea and started gesticulating as well as talking fast. Draco let out a laugh when he saw her hex Smith. She looked around to see who had laughed but only caught a flash of white-blonde hair and the swish of a black cloak boarding two doors down the train.

She started to follow until a voice grunted, "I'd like to see you, young lady, in my compartment, please."

Ginny followed the green-robed, enormously fat, old, balding wizard in front of her. She was surprised he could make it down the tight corridor. Ginny was nervous and then confused when they came to Compartment C and it was full of people.

"Come in, er…?" he said.

"Ginny, Ginny Weasley," said Ginny.

"Ah! Nice to meet you, Ginny. I'm Professor Slughorn. Would you care for some lunch? I dare say, it's better than a belly full of sweets from that trolley!" he said genially patting his. When Ginny just stood there looking confused, Slughorn chortled, "That was a really good hex. I'm impressed!"

"Oh, thanks," Ginny half-smiled as she stepped in and sat down near the window in a vacant seat.

"We're just waiting for a couple more; Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom," smiled Slughorn.

"I know them," said Ginny vaguely as she looked round, still not quite sure why she was here. Did these others do magic, too?

A moment later, Harry and Neville arrived. Slughorn introduced everyone to Harry, whom Slughorn had greated like an old friend. There was Marcus Belby from Ravenclaw, Blaise Zabini from Slytherin, and Ginny, Harry, Neville, and a large boy named Cormac McLaggen all from Gryffindor. When he got to Ginny, he said, "… and _this_ young lady says she knows you!"

Ginny looked over and grimaced.

Slughorn passed out pheasant and rolls to everyone and asked them about famous relatives, or in Harry's case, about being called 'The Chosen One'. They talked what seemed like forever. The most exciting event was when there was a skeptical cough from Blaise Zabini when Slughorn suggested Harry had powers beyond the ordinary since he survived the attack on his parents at just one- year old and Ginny flared up. ("Yes, because you're _so _talented!") Finally, they were allowed to leave. Ginny, Harry, and Neville left together following Blaise out.

"How did you end up in there, Ginny?" asked Harry.

She explained about Zacharias, "He kept on and on asking about what happened at the Ministry and in the end he annoyed me so much I hexed him- when Slughorn called me out I thought I was in trouble, but he just thought it was a really good hex. Mad, eh?"

Blaise scoffed over his shoulder but kept walking. Harry glared at him. As Blaise reached the compartment he was sharing with Draco, Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe, and Goyle, he slid open the door and went in. Everyone in there looked up at the door opening. Draco's eyes were caught by Ginny's ginger hair. She felt the stare and looked around to see him sitting there, looking at her again. Their eyes remained locked until she passed the window and could be seen no longer.


	2. Chapter 2: Pleading

*note* I don't own these characters. Hopefully, this chapter will be a little more…

Chapter2: Pleading (Draco)

Draco continued to stare out the window after Ginny had long since passed. "What did Slughorn want?" he asked Blaise without looking at him.

"He was looking for well-connected people, trying to make connections for himself," answered Blaise.

Pansy looked at Draco, who had frowned a little, then back at Blaise with eyebrows raised. "Who else was there?" she asked greedily.

"Why? Looking to make your own connections?" he sneered. "Don't know what luck you'd have; there was Belby from Ravenclaw, and the Weasley girl, Potter, Longbottom, and McLaggen from Gryffindor," he ticked them off on his fingers. "But Belby lost props because he doesn't really know his uncle, so…" he trailed off with a shrug.

Draco slowly turned his head at the mention of Ginny. "Why was _she_ there?" he asked.

But before Blaise could open his mouth, Pansy said, "A lot of boys like her," looking between Blaise and Draco and landing on the former. "Even you think she's good-looking, don't you Blaise?" she said sneering.

"I wouldn't touch a filthy blood traitor like her with a ten-foot broomstick!" flared Blaise; Pansy looked satisfied and glanced over at Draco. He was looking at Blaise and frowning slightly. Pansy watched him suspiciously.

Draco stood up. "Loo," he mumbled and slid out of the compartment.

He started down the corridor when laughter caught his attention. He stopped at the compartment next to his. It was _her_; Ginny, and Granger, that strange Lovegood girl, Weasley, Potter, and Longbottom. He looked around but there was no one in the corridor. He hid between the two compartments' windows and watched. The setting sun seemed aimed right at their window, lighting them all with a golden brilliance. He looked back at his own compartment. Someone had pulled the shade and it was dully lit by the overhead light. Pansy was leaning close to Blaise with her hand on his knee as she spoke, batting her eyelashes. Crabbe and Goyle had pulled down Draco's trunk and were carefully looking through it. He opened his mouth indignantly, but watched to see what they were going to do. They found his black leather money pouch and snickering, took out a few Galleons each then pulled the strings to close it again and replaced it in the trunk carefully. Then Goyle pointed out Draco's stash of sweets from home and they each took a handful and stuffed them into their pockets. Quickly, Crabbe shut the trunk and locked it, then hoisted it into the luggage rack. They both sat back down looking as though nothing had happened except for the smug look on their stupid faces.

Draco was disgusted. He looked back into the other compartment. Weasley said something funny and everyone errupted into gales of laughter. In mid-laugh, Ginny looked up and caught sight of him watching them. A look of determination stole over the smile on her face and she stood up. He turned to walk to the other end of the carriage.

"Loo," he heard her say after she opened the door with her wand down at her side. She caught up with him in front of the steps that lead down to an exit. "What do you think you're playing at?" she said grabbing his arm. When he turned around, she let go and tightened her grip on her wand.

"I don't know what you're on ab-" he began with a sneer, but his heart wasn't in it._ It's the moment of truth_, he thought, _the ultimate fork in the road_. With a furrowed brow and a deep breath he looked around again checking to see if the coast was clear; there was no one else but them. "You really want the truth?" he glared. "How much time do you have?"

They sat on the steps to the exit, swaying with the movement of the train. Draco had placed a Disillusionment Charm on both of them and another clever one called Muffliato he had learned over the summer that made a slight buzzing noise in the ears of anyone who got too close, so that they wouldn't be disturbed.

"So, what you're saying is," said Ginny trying to wrap her head around what Draco had just told her over the past twenty minutes, "is that Voldemort," she felt him flinch at the name, his knee bumping hers, "has recruited you, branded you with his mark, and you've been forced through intense Dark Arts training all summer with your Dark-Lord-obsessed Aunt, among others? And you have to _kill _Professor Dumbledore or Vol-"

"_D__on't say his name!_" hissed Draco putting his hand on her knee. He felt her jump at his touch and he removed his hand. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"Er, right," she said shaking her head trying to get back to her train of thought. "So- so _You-Know-Who _will kill your parents if you don't- don't finish the job?" she clarified, horror-struck.

"Well, yes, in a nutshell," he said.

"But, forgive me, _why_ are you telling _me_ this? Why should I believe _you_? No offense," she smirked skeptically, "but past experience says you're not _exactly_ trustworthy." She crossed her arms.

"I guess- I don't know," he sighed, "I just- thought it would be, you know, _cool_," he grimaced at the word, "to be in the inner circle, but after this summer…" he trailed off, eyes unfocused, reliving the horrors in his mind's eye. He continued quietly, "I have seen atrocities done right in front of me. It changes a person. You think you'd _like_ to see this person or that person hurting, in _real pain_ when you're angry with them, but to actually _do_ it, to see it- is wholly a different thing. Mudbloods, Blood Traitors, Muggles- they all bleed red- just like me." He sat for a moment, lost in his own thoughts, remembering the first time he had seen the Dark Lord torture and kill in front of him and felt himself shudder. "I don't want to be _that._ I _don't_ want to be a-,"

"A _murderer_," supplied Ginny in a whisper.

"Worse. A murdering _puppet_," he spat the word, "with no free will." His shoulders dropped as though the weight of their conversation had become too heavy. He pushed up his white silk sleeves and then buried his face in his hands. Ginny glimpsed the Mark branded on his arm and stared at it as though mesmerized as he continued talking to the floor, his voice muffled by his palms. "And I'm telling _you_ because-" he gave a short, humorless laugh, "who else _can_ I tell? Everyone has taken a side; the Dark Lord or Dumbledore. Obviously, I can't tell my side, or I guess my _former _side, or they would kill me and my family. I do intend to confide in Dumbledore, I just thought it'd be easier to have _someone _on my side already. As it is, there really could only be you. Do you see?" he pleaded, finally lifting his head and catching her staring at his cursed Mark. He looked down, too and slowly pushed his left sleeve down, uncomfortable with her looking at it. He continued calmly, "Potter would sooner jinx me than listen to anything I had to say, same goes with your brother, probably more-so. Granger wouldn't trust me with her quill, and anyone else just wouldn't-" he stopped again. Frustration and desperation causing his brow to wrinkle. "See, if someone who is close to Potter, and therefore Dumbledore, was there to vouch for me, then it would make a stronger statement. Do you see now?" he asked looking her in the eye for the first time. Fear and uncertainty flitted across her features, making his heart clench. He held his breath while she sat there battling it out in her mind. _Please believe me_! he thought, leaning back on his elbows on the step above and tilting his face to the ceiling with his eyes closed.

They heard a compartment door slide open down the corridor and Hermione's voice saying, "I'm going to go check on Ginny, see if she's feeling alright. She's been gone for awhile."

"I'll come too," they heard Luna say.

At the sound of Hermione's voice, Draco and Ginny had both jumped up. He looked at her with panic in his eyes. She peeked around the corner as Hermione finished talking. She looked up at Draco, took a deep breath, and whispered hurriedly, "Ok, I'll go to Dumbledore with you, as soon as dinner is over, okay?"

"Yes!" he whispered, "and thank you- Ginny," he said, trying out her name. She looked at him with eyebrows raised. "Since we're, you know, on the same side now…?" he trailed off, hating how unsure he sounded. Ginny nodded.

She then pulled out her wand and whispered, "Finite Incantatem!" They reappeared in full-color. She turned to him, "Wait here until we're back in the compartment." He nodded. She stepped up into the corridor. "Here I am."

"What were you doing down there?" asked Luna as she slid the door half-shut, "Did Nargles get to you? I felt some floating around before." She started batting the air around her head as though trying to shoo a fly away.

"No," laughed Ginny a little too heartily, she cleared her throat, "I was coming back from the loo when I dropped my wand and it rolled down the steps, see?" she said, holding up her wand. At that moment the train took a sharp turn to the left and with a small gasp, Ginny started to topple back down the steps when Draco caught her round her waist and pushed her back to a standing position.

"Ginny! Are you alright?" asked Hermione, and then, "Wait a minute, who's down there?"

At the sound of Hermione's cry, Harry and Ron came out of the compartment and Neville stuck his head into the corridor.

Ginny sighed and looked over at Draco with an apologetic look and a half shrug. He stepped out and faced the small crowd with his hands up. "Er… me."

Everyone stared between him and Ginny with their mouths open. Neville raised his eyebrows and pulled his head back into the compartment and Ron growled, "Get away from her, Malfoy," as he pulled out his wand and pointed it at him.

"We were just talking, Weasley!" Draco growled back holding his still empty hands a little higher.

"It's alright, Draco. Just go," she said looking over her shoulder at him. She mouthed, "_After dinner_," and gave him a meaningful look. "I need to have a chat with my friends," she said as she turned back and motioned for them to go back into the compartment. She was the last to enter and paused in the doorway looking over at Draco as he stood at his own compartment door looking over at her. They nodded to each other and then turned to enter their respective compartments.


	3. Chapter 3: Explanations

*note* I don't own any of these characters.

Chapter 3: Explanations (Ginny)

Ginny slid the door closed behind her, facing her friends. Luna smiled dreamily at her, Neville's face was still flushed and he wouldn't meet her eyes, Hermione looked concerned, Harry looked hurt, and Ron had such a snarl on his face, that it looked endangered of becoming permanent.

"Harry, don't look at me like that," she started, her forehead wrinkling. "And before anyone says anything, let me explain."

She wrung her hands as she told them everything; about the stares and non-threatening-Draco antics; about the grueling summer of Dark Arts training he had been forced to go through with Bellatrix and other Death Eaters by Voldemort, and him taking the Dark Mark. But also of his regret and how it seemed he had had his eyes opened to the evil he was getting into and the atrocities he would have to commit under the threat of his family being murdered in front of him, then he himself being killed.

The sun had completely set and the overhead chandelier shone dully as she took a deep breath and straightened, crossing her arms, "I believe him. He's different- changed for the better, I think. He and I are going to Professor Dumbledore after dinner," she ended, looking at each of them, "together."

Everyone started talking at once.

"Good for you!" beamed Luna, "It's nice to see inner-house cooperation. Would you like me to go, too?"

"Now wait just a minute!" Ron fired up.

"You _really_ trust him?" asked Harry, looking doubtful.

"This is too much, Ginny. I mean, I agreed with you about the name thing, but this is- I don't know- I need to think…" said Hermione, furrowing her brow.

Neville just sat with his hands in his lap, staring at his knees.

"Stop! Stop!" Ginny raised her hands, palms out. "You didn't see him or hear him- no one is that good an actor. He even touched my knee- on purpose."

She saw Ron crick his neck looking at her knee as if to see if there were a hand print, but she ignored him. "In the past, he would never have even _thought_ to- oh, Hermione!" Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Remember a year and a half ago when the Slytherins had those 'Support Cedric Diggory' badges and he offered you one, but then told you not to touch his hand?"

Hermione frowned, "Yes, he said he didn't want a Mudblood fouling his hand since he had just washed it."

"Right," Ginny faltered, "Okay, well, yes, but my point is that, to them, we, that is to say you and I, are the same; Blood-traitor," she pointed to herself, "and Mudblood," she pointed to Hermione. "So why would he reach out, literally, and ask for help if he didn't _really_ need it?" she said with a pleading look at her.

"Because he's an evil git…" snarled Ron.

"…and it's probably a trick," added Harry.

This time ignoring Harry, she rounded on Ron, "Okay, seriously, what makes him 'evil'?" she asked, hands on hips. "So he's called us names, big deal; we've called him lots of things, too. What are we, six? Yes, he's jinxed and hexed us, (some more than others) and we've done the same to him. If anything we've gotten him more, come to think of it. So what makes us any better than him? Well?" she added when no one spoke for a few minutes.

"I don't know, Ginny. He's a Malfoy, a Slytherin," said Harry.

"Yes, and Ron and I are related to the LeStranges through Mum, Hermione happens to be Muggle-born, you are related to those Dursleys you hate so much!" she said throwing up her hands. "So what? It's not anybody's fault; there is no 'fault'. It just _is_; it is what it is."

"We can meet after dinner," asked Luna as though carrying on her own conversation.

"I- Er," stuttered Ginny until Hermione spoke up.

"Yes, what shall we do, Ginny?" she asked, giving Ginny a small smile of encouragement.

"Er," Ginny said again, "Well, er, let me think." She paced the middle of the compartment, only able to take a few steps before having to turn. After a minute, she stopped and looked up, "Right," she said. "Can I borrow Pigwidgeon or Hedwig?" she asked looking between Ron and Harry. Harry looked round to Ron who refused to meet his eye, then nodded at Ginny, "and Crookshanks, Hermione?" she said looking to Hermione before turning to get parchment and a self-inking quill out of her trunk.

When she stood and turned, Harry was looking at her. "Can I say something?" he asked.

Ginny looked at him wearily with her things in her hands, "S'pose."

Harry took a deep breath and spoke to the floor. "I_ know_," he started, "you can take care of yourself, you proved that at the Ministry. What I _don't_ know is if I can trust Malfoy, but if you do, then I'm behind you. Whether it's to back you up," he looked into her eyes, "or to catch you when you fall; I'll be there." He stood up resignedly, got Hedwig from her cage, and held her out to Ginny.

Ginny put her things in her seat and reached for the owl. When their hands touched in the transfer of Hedwig, Ginny stayed his hand until he looked back into her eyes.

"Thank you," she said, holding his hand until he nodded. Turning to address the compartment at large, she said, "I'm asking Professor Dumbledore if we can speak to him tonight. Luna, I accept your offer to come," she nodded at Luna, "Is anyone else with us?" she asked looking around.

Harry sighed and nodded. Ginny smiled and looked between Ron and Hermione. Hermione looked at Harry then to Ginny and nodded, too. Ginny slowly turned to Ron.

"Ginny really wants your support, Ron," said Luna patting him on the shoulder, "especially as you're family," she said smiling at him.

Ron sat with his arms crossed glaring at his left knee and furiously bouncing his right leg. "I can't," he said quietly. Ginny looked at him sadly.

"What about you, Neville. You've been quiet this whole time," she said picking up her writing things and sitting down in her seat next to his.

He mumbled so quietly that all anyone besides Ginny could hear was, "… doesn't matter."

"Of course your opinion matters, Neville! We're friends, aren't we?" she said bracingly.

Neville glanced quickly at Ron who continued trying, or so it seemed, to burn a hole through his jeans' left knee. "I vote to give him a chance- it's what Professor Dumbledore would do."

"Good man, Neville," said Luna.

Ginny looked once more at Ron before putting Hedwig on her shoulder so she could write:

_Dear Professor Dumbledore,_

_Please excuse the lateness of this very urgent request. Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and I wish to speak to you after dinner, please._

_Ginny Weasley_

She ripped the letter off of the roll of parchment, rolled it up, and held it out for Hedwig. Harry had unlatched the window and when Hedwig had the letter clamped firmly in her beak, he slid the window open and she took off in a ghostly whisper of wings. Harry shut and refastened the window.

Meanwhile, Hermione had taken out Crookshanks and had sat petting him in her lap. Ginny sat back down and began writing again.

_D,_

_Four more gain rank. Sent request for meeting. Will send message with time._

_-G_

She tore off the strip the note was on, put her writing things into her pocket, and then folded the letter into a perfect one-inch square. She looked up and nodded to Hermione who handed Crookshanks to her.

Ginny pinned one corner of the letter to his collar like a lisence. "Okay, Crookshanks," she whispered as she slid open the door and set him down, "Go!" She watched with her head sticking out of the doorway as he walked bowlegged over to the next compartment and then meowed at the door. Ginny crossed her fingers. The compartment door slid open. She bit her bottom lip. When Draco's head and hand came into view bending to see Crookshanks, she sighed in audible relief. Draco looked over and Ginny pointed to the cat, then her neck. He looked down and pulled off the note, patted Crookshanks' head and nodded his head a fraction.

"Just some cat," she heard him say, and then he went back into his compartment and slid the door shut behind him.

"Good boy!" Ginny crooned as Crookshanks came back through the door. She scooped him up and buried her face in his fluffy fur which set him purring loudly.

They barely had time to put their robes on before arriving at Hogsmeade Station. Neville stowed Trevor in his hat and the six of them trudged out of their compartment. For Ron's sake, Ginny lead them to the other exit away from Draco and the other Slytherins. Ginny and Neville led the group to a carriage, Hermione and Harry walked together, talking quietly. Absently, Harry patted the thestral before he boarded. Ron and Luna came last. Luna had linked her arm through Ron's and was chatting animatedly to his stony face as though he was smiling for her to continue. It was a quiet ride to the front doors except for Luna's continued chattering.

When they finally made it to the Great Hall, Luna stood on tiptoe and kissed Ron's cheek then bounced off to the Ravenclaw's table. Ron blinked and slowly reached up and touched his cheek where Luna had kissed him. Neville grabbed his sleeve and lead him to where the others had sat down. Ginny looked to the staff table as everyone in the Great Hall was getting settled when she felt a tug on her robes. She looked down and a white rat with bright blue eyes sat in her lap holding up a minuscule roll of parchment in its tiny forepaws for her to take. She took the message and the rat jumped down to scurry under the table and out of sight. Ginny looked around before opening it. It read:

_Ginny,_

_I will be more than happy to meet with you all. Please come to my office as soon as you are dismissed from the Great Hall. Password: Nosebleed Nougat._

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

Ginny pulled out her spare parchment and quill and replaced them with Dumbledore's note as the students sat waiting for the First Years to arrive. She quickly wrote:

_Meet at Dumbledore's office right after dinner. Send on._

"Neville, can I-" she looked round but Neville was holding Trevor and a leather thong out to her already with a small smile. "Thanks!" she whispered.

She tied the roll to Trevor's bumpy back with help from Neville. She grasped the toad in her hands and sat with him in her lap. Waiting until everyone's attention turned to the large doors as they opened and McGonagall led in the scared-looking First Years, she let Trevor down. By the time all the new students had made it to the front, Luna had already scooped up the toad, read the message, re-tied it to Trevor, and sent him on his way. Ginny's eyes kept darting between the students getting sorted and Draco. He ducked his head to scoop up Trevor and read the message as McGonagall called off, "Edwards, Chloe" who became a new Ravenclaw. As "Turner, Jack" became the first new Slytherin, Draco's smile of relief at Ginny was lost in the cheering around him. She had no such excuse for her returning smile.

"Now if only I could get Trevor to come back like he's supposed to…" Neville trailed off shaking his head. He had seen the exchange.

Ginny flushed slightly, "Thanks again, Neville."

Finally, dinner was over and Dumbledore stood to give his announcements. Immediately whispers and gasps erupted all over the Hall when everyone saw his blackened hand. "Oh, this? Yes, it's quite and exciting tale, but for another time..." he said, eyes twinkling. He went on to make his regular announcements, including that the new Professor Slughorn would be teaching Potions and Professor Snape would be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year, which caused another commotion. It took several loud bangs from Dumbledore's wand to get everyone to quiet down that time. "Yes, yes, exciting news, but it is now time for bed! Good night to you all!" he said cheerily with a wave of his uninjured hand and hurried out the door.

As Ginny, Hermione, Harry, Neville, and Ron came to the staff table to leave, Hagrid called over to them, "I'm really lookin' forward to seein' yeh in me class! Got some excitin' creatures this year!"

Harry's, Ron's, and Hermione's smiles froze on their faces. Walking along the corridor, they looked at each other. "You aren't taking Care of Magical Creatures, are you?" they said at the same time, "No," they answered each other. Each of their faces fell.

"I am," said Neville, "Some of the plants we use in Herbology are guarded by magical creatures, so it's best to know what we're dealing with."

"We'll talk to him whenever we have him this week. Don't worry," said Ginny.

They followed the Gryffindors as though they were going up to their tower, but along one corridor they hung back, said good bye to Ron, and slipped through a tapestry of a troll walking a werewolf at the end of a lead.

Each of the houses had a secret passage that branched off from their most direct route from the Great Hall to their respective dormitories to the Headmaster's office. All of the secret passageways converged at the entrance guarded by the gargoyle. Luna was already waiting for them when they arrived and they had waited only a moment when Draco stepped out of the Slytherin's passageway and cleared his throat. Everyone turned. No one said anything for a moment until Ginny broke the silence.

"So, er, ready all?" She turned to the gargoyle, "Nosebleed Nougat," she said. As the gargoyle moved to one side and the stone steps behind it started turning, she said, "Let's go."

They each stepped through the doorway; Draco had gestured for Ginny, Hermione, and Luna to go before him, then before he could follow, Harry grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"A quick word before we go up," he whispered quickly. Draco looked from Harry's hand to his face. "I'm only here because Ginny believes you and I trust her. I _know_ she can take care of herself, but if this is trick, I will turn you into a rock and sink you to the bottom of the Black Lake. Are we clear?" he asked calmly.

Draco continued to stare at him. Harry stared steadily back.

"If you really trusted Ginny," Harry's eyes narrowed slightly at hearing Draco use Ginny's name, "then you wouldn't feel the need to threaten me."

Harry opened his mouth, "It's not a threat, I'm just stating a fact."

"Don't interrupt," directed Draco, Harry raised an eyebrow. "However, I can appreciate how you look out for one another. Slytherin's are only concerned with their own hides. No, Potter, this is not a trick." He turned and started up the stairs.

"And I do trust Ginny. It's you I don't trust, Malfoy," said Harry following him up.

"I accept that," said Draco without turning around. "You have no reason to trust me- yet," he added, glancing over his shoulder before climbing the steps to the door.

The girls were already walking into the office when Draco and Harry caught up.

"Close the door please, Harry," instructed Dumbledore from behind his desk. He stood and came around to conjure seven comfy armchairs in a circle. "You told me this was urgent, Ginny, and I must admit, I am very intrigued by the company you are keeping now." His twinkling eyes fell on Draco who looked at him steadily even as a pink flush crept up his neck, deceiving his confident manner.

They all sat, Draco between Ginny, who had Hermione on her other side next to Harry, and Luna, who had Neville on her other side. Draco sat like a prince; both arms resting on the armrests.

"Please, Professor," began Ginny, her eyes darting from Dumbledore's withered hand to his face. "Draco and I talked on the train and he has something to share." She looked round to Draco and put her hand on his arm. "Go ahead, tell him what you told me."

He looked down where her hand still lay on his arm and with a half-smile looked up at the Headmaster and began his tale for the second time that night.

When he finished, Dumbledore asked, "What sort of things were you trained in? What did you learn?"

Draco sighed, "All the Unforgivable Curses, how to create and use Inferi," he shuddered but only Ginny and Dumbledore noticed, "how to form the Dark Mark, how to Apparate and Disapparate, various spells (jinxes, hexes, charms, and transfiguration) and… I'm now an unregistered Animagi," he finished.

"What kind-" started Ginny curiously.

"I can become a pure-white wolf," he answered before she could finish asking. "The only thing you could consider as 'markings' would be my eyes; they are the same _cold gray_ when I change," he finished scathingly, thinking of the similarity between his and his father's eye color.

"I think your eyes are more _silver_ than gray," piped up Luna. Draco turned slowly to look at her. "And they're not _cold_," she looked unflinching into his eyes, "Not anymore." Ginny smiled at her.

"Er, thanks," he mumbled looking back to Dumbledore with a slight smile of embarrassment. "So, how are we going to go about this? Am I going to be undercover," he asked smiling wider despite himself, "or are my parents and I supposed to go into hiding?" his smile faded.

"Shouldn't he stay, Professor? Isn't he safest here with you?" Ginny interjected.

Dumbledore looked at her over his half-moon spectacles, before speaking to Draco.

"As much fun as you think it would be to play 'double-agent', Draco, I think you had better talk to Professor Snape about that," replied Dumbledore.

"I'll make an appointment for you with Professor Snape for tomorrow during your first break. For now, however, I think we shall take our leave tonight, as it is nearly curfew. Good night."


	4. Chapter 4: Alone, Together

*note* I don't own any of these characters, if I did, it would have gone something like this…

Chapter 4: Alone, Together (Draco)

Draco woke up in the dark and quiet. He yawned and stretched and sat up. When he pulled the green velvet curtains of his four-poster bed open, a warm and brilliant light flooded over him. He threw up his hands to shield his eyes. There was a loud bang and a yell.

"Hey! Draco, You up yet? Breakfast is over in thirty minutes!" Another bang as the door was shut.

Draco moaned as his eyes finally adjusted to the bright morning sunlight streaming through the high windows near the ceiling of the dungeons. He put his bare feet on the cold stone floor and stood up. He walked over to the pitcher of water on his night stand and poured it into the matching basin the house elves left there every morning. He splashed cool water on his face, brushed his teeth, and did a general clean up. The basin was enchanted to keep the water clean. He dressed quickly and then ran to get some breakfast.

By the time he reached the Slytherin's table, nearly everyone had gone to gather their books with new schedules in hand. He sat down and ate what was left within grabbing range. He looked around the Great Hall as he ate his toast, eggs, and sausage. He noticed Ginny was still at the Gryffindor's table. She was facing him but had her head buried in a magazine called _Familiar Fancy_. She looked up right as someone stepped in front of him, cutting off his line of sight to her. He looked up mid-chew to find Snape staring at him.

"Professor Dumbledore has informed me of the events of last night. Finish eating and then come to my office. We'll talk there," said Snape.

"Yes, Sir. What about my schedule?" asked Draco.

"I will issue a new one after our talk. Be in my office in fifteen minutes," replied Snape.

Ten minutes later, Draco was knocking on Snape's office door, which despite teaching several floor up, was still down in the dungeons. Snape opened the door with one eyebrow raised.

"I finished sooner and thought I would come early," explained Draco.

"Yes, alright," said Snape gesturing for him to come in. "Sit down, Draco," he said pointing to a desk chair, then walked back around his desk to sit down. "As I told you upstairs, Professor Dumbledore has told me what you told him. He feels it is best for you to stay here at Hogwarts for the time being. Your father," he saw Draco's lip curl- "is safest in Azkaban not knowing about your _change of heart_ and the same goes for your mother."

"But the Dark Lord…" Draco began on the edge of his seat.

"The Dark Lord will not know anything is afoot- you and I are accomplished Occlumens, so he will not get anything from us, and as long as your parents don't know anything is amiss, then he won't be able to get anything from them, either," answered Snape smoothly.

"I understand, but Sir he gave me a- job…" said Draco miserably.

"As it is, I know about your assignment from the Dark Lord," said Snape darkly. Draco looked up in surprise. "I made an Unbreakable Vow with your mother. She came to me the night you received your instructions. Your Aunt Bellatrix performed it."

"Sir," began Draco hopelessly.

"You told the Dark Lord you had a plan, what was it?" asked Snape.

Draco looked unsure. "It was more of an idea, really. Remember last year when Montague got lost in that Vanishing Cabinet?" Snape nodded. "There is another one in Borgin and Burkes. Montague told me he could hear people talking- sometimes at Hogwarts and other times at the shop, but he couldn't make anyone hear him. He finally thought to Apparate out and nearly splinched himself in two in the process. Everyone else thought it was a good story, but I realized there was some sort of passageway to get from here to there and visa-versa. My idea was to fix the cabinet and allow the Death Eaters to infiltrate the school." He looked disgusted with himself.

"I see," said Snape after a while. "You must follow through, Draco."

Draco looked up at Snape horror-struck.

"You've told Crabbe and Goyle about this, have you not?" said Snape impatiently.

"Yes," said Draco slowly.

"Their fathers are Death Eaters, too and they are not out of sight of the Dark Lord- meaning that any suspicious behavior on your behalf could be reported back to the Dark Lord and _his_ suspicions would be aroused," Snape explained.

Draco appeared diminished under the weight of this new realization. "Which means," Snape continued, "that, for example, when your father," Draco's lip curled again seemingly of its own accord, "is mentioned, you cannot have such reactions," finished Snape pointing at Draco. "Your friends will notice these little changes. You must appear to revere your father as you always have on the outside even if you don't on the inside. You cannot be seen contacting any _different_ people than you normally would. You have to play your part right if you want to be a double-agent. You will be _alone_ even when surrounded by others. This will be your burden to bear _alone_. Even those who know the truth cannot fully comprehend what it is you have committed to."

Draco struggled to control his emotions and thoughts about his father. He felt that, after all, this was entirely _his_ fault. And Snape _was_ wrong about one thing; he thought of Ginny and the others; he was _not_ alone in this.

"Yes, Sir," he managed with a believable smirk on his face.

"Very good," said Snape. "Now, about your schedule-."

Draco followed Snape to his first lesson: Defense Against the Dark Arts. They arrived first and went in to wait for the beginning of class. After three minutes of silence, where Draco sat looking at the various posters Snape had hung up portraying Dark curses and their gruesome effects, they heard the chatter of the other students queuing up outside the closed door. Snape got up and opened it and silence fell immediately.

"Enter," he heard Snape command behind him and the rest of the class came in and sat.

Snape began by telling them of the intricacies of the Dark Arts and how it was up to him to properly prepare them to defend themselves. They would start by first practicing how to do Non-Verbal spell work.

Draco and Hermione were paired together and within minutes, the word-less Bat-Bogey Hex he cast was silently blocked by her. Where he had been taught during the summer, she was just that clever. Snape gave them ten points each, lip curling at Hermione, as everyone regrouped into their pairs and continued to concentrate until they were purple in the face.

Draco quietly addressed his partner.

"Ready to go again, Granger?" he sneered quietly.

"Are you proposing a silent duel, _Malfoy_?" she glared back holding up her wand.

In answer he put is wand in dueling position and smirked at her.

Mirroring his smirk she got into position, too.

She waved her wand, he flicked his. He slashed, she pointed. Flashes of red, gold, blue, and purple lights bounced around them, never hitting their intended mark. Sweat beaded on their foreheads as the spells and counter-spells came faster and faster. By now everyone had turned to watch because of the deflected spells going helter-skelter over their heads and banging into the stone walls. No one spoke. Finally, Draco managed to throw two spells in quick succession; he blocked Hermione's Jelly-Legs Jinx and then sent a ball of silver light that hit her in the chest. She doubled over and fell to her knees.

Harry yelled, "Hermione!" and ran over to her.

Draco stood smirking down at her until Ron punched him in the eye, knocking his head back.

"You evil git! What'd you do to her!" he yelled cocking his fist back and landing another hit, this time splitting Draco's lip.

Hermione's shoulders were shaking and when she finally looked up to catch her breath she was _laughing_.

Harry turned, "Ron! Stop! It was a-,"

"Tickling Charm," spat Draco, spraying blood onto his robes.

"_Stop it! Stop it!_" Hermione shrieked with laughter. She teetered backwards and began rolling on the floor clutching her stomach and kicking her feet. Draco started to lift his wand when Snape stepped over him and waved his own. She slowly sat up wiping tears out of her eyes and breathing fast.

Harry whispered, "Are you alright?"

"Course I am," she replied breathlessly taking his hand so that he could help her stand.

"Er, right." he shook his head and helped her up and started dusting off her robes.

Snape helped Draco up. "Fifteen points from Gryffindor and a detention, Weasley. Draco, go to the hospital wing," he said nudging him towards the door. "Everyone else get back to work."

Draco left the room mopping at his still bleeding lip with a white handkerchief he had conjured and trudged up the steps towards the hospital wing. He turned a corner and heard someone mumbling inside an open broom cupboard. Filtch was putting his cleaning supplies inside.

"Finally finished cleaning, my sweet," he said to Mrs. Norris who had stuck her head around the door at the sound of Draco's approach. She meowed. "What is it?" Filch asked, sticking his face out from behind the door as well and spotting Draco. "What are you doing? Why aren't you in class?" he barked.

"Hospital wing," said Draco removing the handkerchief from his lip which immediately dripped blood onto the floor.

"Watch it!" roared Filtch, "I just finished cleaning! Don't just stand there, get a move on!"

Draco covered his lip again and scoffed before walking on. He watched Filtch eye him grumpily and then turn to rummage in the cupboard to find what he needed to clean up the floor. Draco had just turned around when- _crack!_ He collided with someone who was hurtling around the corner into his corridor.

"_Bloody 'ell!_" he yelled holding his nose. "_I dink 'ou broke by dose!_"

"Draco?" It was Ginny. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" she said rubbing her forehead from the ground, "I was looking for Filtch- someone plastered frogs' brains to the ceiling in potions. Are you okay?"

Draco looked around the hallway, it was empty as classes were still in session. "_I'll be ogay_," he said, eyes streaming as he reached down to help her up. "_Wha' 'bout 'ou?_" He eyed her face, he had gotten blood on it, too.

"Oh I'm sure it's nothing," she said quickly, waving her hand.

He took his other hand away from his nose- blood was now running from his nose and lip down his mouth and chin and dripping onto his already blood-stained robes and into his white shirt collar. He refolded the handkerchief to a less saturated side and reapplied it, this time to his nose as well. "_We s'ouldn't be seen 'ogeber. Beoble will dalk._"

"We're nearly there now- this corridor has no classes. I'll walk with you," she argued. When he opened his mouth to protest, she said, "I'll walk a little ahead of you so if someone happens to look down here, they will just think we happen to be going the same way."

She grabbed the front of his robes and started dragging him towards the hospital wing.

"_Ogay, ogay_," he said following her. When she let go of him, he smiled in spite of himself.

When they reached the door Ginny pushed it open. "Madam Pomfrey?" she called.

Madam Pomfrey popped her head out of her office, "Yes?"

"Draco Malfoy has been hurt," Ginny said as he came in behind her.

The once-white handkerchief was scarlet and starting to drip still more blood onto his robes.

"Good gracious!" she said running down the aisle between the beds. "Come on; let's get you cleaned up so I can see the damage. What happened?"

"_I wa' gombing 'ere when I ran indo her_," he said pointing at Ginny_. _"_I dink by dose is brogen_," he said as Madam Pomfrey waved her wand in his face to siphon off the blood. She finished with a little flick and the bleeding stopped altogether.

"Why were you coming here in the first place? What happened to your lip and your eye?" she asked pointing her wand over her shoulder and causing a bottle and clean cloth to come zooming into her empty hand. She then turned on him again. "Episky," she said pointing her wand at Draco's nose.

He grunted and flinched as the cartilage mended and made a crunching noise. He told her what had happened in Defense Against the Dark Arts class. He could see Ginny watching him out of the corner of his eye. When he told about Ron hitting him, Ginny gasped angrily.

"He thought I had hit her with something more dangerous," he said turning slightly to look at her as Madam Pomfrey dabbed purple paste on his split-lip and black eye.

"I can't believe you're defending him, that idiot!" spat Ginny.

"Now, now, Ms. Weasley, your brother was being gallant!" she turned to Draco, "Unfortunately your face got in the way, Mr. Malfoy," she said with a sympathetic look at him. "Let this sit for a minute, when it's dry I'll clean it off and you'll be good as new." She stood and went to clean up in her office.

"I'll talk to him, Draco. That _idiot,_" she said again watching his lip as it healed.

"I'm fine. It doesn't even hurt anymore," he said soothingly, "but you," he touched her forehead, "are starting to bruise."

"It's nothing," she whispered closing her eyes as his cool fingers touched her; her head was sore now that he'd pointed it out.

She looked into his silver eyes and swallowed. He lowered his hand.

"I have to tell you," he whispered, leaning in and looking into her warm brown ones, "I talked with Professor Snape this morning and if I'm going to stay at Hogwarts I have to act like nothing is different- I have to play my part so no one gets suspicious. That means I can't be seen with you or any of the other's outside of the norm. I might have to say or do things that I don't really mean. I need you to know that."

"Alright," she breathed. They stared at each other in silence, mere inches away.

"That should do it!" said Madam Pomfrey as she came around the corner from her office. Draco and Ginny jumped apart.

Ginny stood up blushing. "Er, I should go then. I Still need to tell Filtch about the frogs' brains." She looked everywhere but at Draco. "Bye, then," she said to the pillow on the bed he sat on and turned and left the hospital wing.

"All set," said Madam Pomfrey a second after Ginny had left after she'd cleaned off the dried purple potion from Draco's lip and eye.

He jumped up and jogged to the door, opening it. Ginny was nowhere to be seen.

Madam Pomfrey turned to go into her office smirking.

*note* I really like this chapter! Does anyone even want me to continue this?


	5. Chapter 5: Forbidden Fruit

*note* I don't own any of these characters; I just do this for fun, not for profit!

Chapter 5: Forbidden Fruit (Ginny)

Ginny sat on the plush crimson cushions in a picture window in the Gryffindor common room. She had told Filtch about the mess in the dungeons then said she had to stop in the loos before going back to class. Instead she had slipped away and back to Gryffindor Tower.

The portrait hole opened and students started coming in to drop off their bags and books before lunch. Romilda Vane had brought Ginny's bag and books back for her, but Ginny was so preoccupied that she didn't even turn around when she thanked her. Hermione, Harry, and Ron were the last to come drop their books off. They spotted Ginny as they came back down into the empty common room.

"Aren't you going to lunch?" Harry called over to her.

When she looked around to answer, Hermione gasped. "Ginny! What happened to your head?"

Ron was at her side in three strides.

"What?" she asked reaching up and touching her forehead. When she brought her hand back down there was dried blood on it. "Oh, I forgot. It's Draco's, not mine."

Ron's look of brotherly concern changed to one of suspicion. "Draco had a bloody lip when I got through with him; why would his lips be anywhere near your head?"

Ginny glared up at him. "For your information I broke his nose."

Ron grinned, "Really?"

"You two had a fight?" asked Harry, incredulous.

Hermione sat down next to Ginny. "I'm guessing not, Harry," she said looking from Ginny's exasperated face to Harry's confused one.

"No, no, we ran into each other in the corridor. I was running to get Filtch because someone in potions had plastered frogs' brains to the ceiling and Draco was on his way to the hospital wing." She glared at Ron again. "We turned the same corner and ran into each other and I broke his nose," she said pointing at her forehead. "It was an accident."

"Oh," said Ron, his smile vanishing. "Can we go to lunch, then?"

Hermione frowned at him before looking back to Ginny. "Come on, we can stop and clean you up, Ginny."

Five minutes later, Harry and Ron stood outside the door of a girl's lavatory waiting for them.

Hermione watched as Ginny carefully wiped her face clean of dried blood then stood staring at the reddened cloth in her hands.

"So what happened after you ran into him?" she asked leaning against a sink.

Ginny looked up startled out of her thoughts. "I walked with him to the hospital wing. He told Madam Pomfrey what had happened-," she looked round to Hermione, "You two were the only ones to get the non-verbal spells?"

When Hermione nodded, Ginny raised her eyebrows, mouthed "_Wow_", and looked back at her now clean reflection. "He told me that since he is going to be undercover we can't talk to each other out of the norm- that he might have to say or do things that he really doesn't mean."

She looked at the red stain on the cloth in her hands once more before tossing it into the hamper, then looked at Hermione and turned to leave. Hermione followed her.

"I know, it's going to be difficult," Hermione sighed putting her hand on Ginny's shoulder.

Ginny sighed then smiled shyly, "When he saw the bruise on my head in the hospital wing," she pushed open the door, "he touched me. He was so- ."

"WHAT?" yelled Ron. "That filthy- he touched you?"

Ginny blushed and glared at him. "Would you mind terribly keeping your voice down?" she growled, turning on her heel and stalking off.

When they caught up with her, Hermione put her arm back around Ginny's shoulders and frowned at Ron who was still snarling.

"It was just her forehead, Ron, get a grip. Nothing _serious_ could happen anyway, not on school grounds." They stopped in front of an ornate tapestry of various shades of green with silver threading and looked at her. "Will you lot please read Hogwarts, A History? It'll save me a lot of trouble," she sighed. "Nothing like_ that_," she raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes, "can happen because there is a Chastity Charm on all of Hogwarts' grounds. Could you imagine the outraged parents if there wasn't? We're lucky we can even snog here," she said blushing and looking anywhere but at Harry.

Ron looked quickly at Ginny, his lip curling. "You're not _snogging_ him are you?"

Ginny's face was instantly as red as her hair as she lifted her chin, "So what if I was? I don't need your permission to snog someone!"

Ron's strangled cry of disgust echoed down the hall as he stormed past her and Hermione, heading to the Great Hall.

"You haven't really?" asked Harry, he sounded disapproving.

Ginny groaned and rolled her eyes, "Of course not! Draco and I have not snogged, we're barely friends! We haven't so much as held hands- we only started talking yesterday!"

"Right, okay," Harry sounded relieved, irritating Ginny even more.

"I'll just go talk to Ron, then," he said, "Calm him down before he does something rash." He turned to Hermione, "A Chastity Charm?" he said and walked away shaking his head.

Hermione and Ginny watched him turn down a corridor and out of sight before bursting into laughter.

"So you and Harry, eh?" Ginny asked smiling.

Hermione blushed, "Yes, well, I mean no- sort of... what about you and Draco?" she asked leaning against the wall opposite the tapestry and deliberately changing the subject.

Ginny sighed, "I told you, we're barely-,"

"Yes, I know, but you _like_ him now. I mean, it's understandable; he's good-looking when he's not sneering at you like you're filth," she said wryly, "but what's amazing is that it turns out he's not a completely evil git as previously assumed. Turns out there's a heart and conscience in there. You know, he could be a caring human being with some proper t.l.c.," she said thoughtfully. "Plus he's tall and fit and those eyes!" she said winking at Ginny.

"What, Hermione, have you got a crush on him now, too?" laughed Ginny.

"Oh, no, not me. Just sort of stating the obvious," she said looking to the corridor Harry had disappeared down. "He's all yours."

"No he's not," sighed Ginny, "I finally understand the concept of 'Forbidden Fruit', though," she sighed, "_very_ tempting!"

Hermione smiled sympathetically, "Come on, let's go eat."

As they walked away, Draco stuck his head out from behind the green and silver tapestry, smirking. He waited until the girls had turned the corner before coming out and following.


	6. Chapter 6: Getting Familiar

*note* not my characters, so on and so forth...

Chapter 6: Getting Familiar (Draco)

Draco sat at the Slytherin table drinking his goblet of pumpkin juice and watching Harry and Hermione trying to talk to Ron, who had been eating so fast (so he could leave as quickly as possible) for the past five minutes that it was surprising he hadn't choked. Ginny was eating and reading her _Familiar Fancy_ magazine again and every once in a while would glance at him. Each time she did this, however, she would see him talking to Theodore Nott or Blaise Zabini who were sitting on either side of him.

When he stood to leave for Potions, she peered over her magazine and he winked before walking out of the Great Hall, grinning as he saw her eyes crinkle as she smiled behind its pages. Harry, Ron, and Hermione got up to leave, too, missing the exchange as they did so.

Ron still looked put-out when they arrived after Draco to stand in the queue for class. They only had to wait a minute before Professor Slughorn opened the door to let them into the dungeons. There were several small cauldrons with different potions bubbling inside them sitting along his desk. When he asked if anyone could name them, Hermione's hand shot up. She told them about the properties of each. Veritaserum; a clear potion that had no smell or taste that made you tell the truth, the thick and slow-bubbling Polyjuice Potion that turned your appearance into another person's and was only meant for human trasformations, Amortentia; the most powerful love potion in the world and how it smelled different to every individual, and finally a molten-gold colored potion that was bubbling merrily but never splashed out called Felix Felicis, or Liquid Luck.

Everyone leaned in when Slughorn told them that there was going to be a contest of who could make the Draught of Living Death the best and that the winner would get a bottle, twenty-four hours' worth, of the Felix Felicis.

Several scenarios went through Draco's head: ones with Ginny and ones involving his assignment from the Dark Lord, to name a couple.

He flipped open his copy of Libatius Borage's book, _Advanced Potion-Making,_ found the instructions and quickly got started. He collected the ingredients required from the ingredients cupboard and opened the package of valerian root to get started. He wrinkled his nose at the foul odor it emitted. He cut up the required amount and moved on to the shriveled up sopophorous bean. He struggled to cut the thing and in the end he got so frustrated he grasped the knife handle and smashed it down upon the bean. It worked as it turned out! He smiled and scooped up the juice and bean bits and put them into his cauldron. It matched the description of lilac in the book and he smiled wider. He started stirring counterclockwise as instructed and it slowly changed to what looked like slightly cloudy water. He thought he may have won until Slughorn called for the results and Harry had managed to pull it off perfectly. Draco frowned, second didn't win him the prize. _Still_, he thought, eyeing the Polyjuice Potion,_ there are other methods I can use to get what I want_...

In the following weeks, Draco ignored his new acquaintances as best he could, which was made more difficult seeing as he had all the same classes as Harry and Ron. The exception, however, was Ginny whom he never missed an opportunity to furtively smile, nod, wink, or give a knowing-look to whenever he came across her. Ron still made snide remarks trying to goad him into reacting in front of everyone, but Draco would not rise to the bait. He would sneer and walk away shaking his head, or tell him to grow up. Many girls found his cool manner intriguing, and even though it was not his normal behavior, it didn't bring suspicious attention, it brought admiration, which made Ron all the more resentful.

One evening towards the end of October, Draco sat studying in the library alone, as he had taken to doing as of late. They had to write a foot-long essay on ways to magically conceal one's self for Charms. Several students came in and sat down several tables away. He was ignoring them until someone said his name.

"Do you reckon Malfoy's studying to be an Auror, too, then?" said a voice, sounding clearly disgusted.

"Must be, he's taking all the same classes we are," answered someone else.

"That's admirable," said yet another person vaguely.

Draco joined the silent stares at the girl who had spoken last. Luna had pulled out _The Quibbler_ and didn't notice how everyone stared at her. Ron looked at her incredulously while everyone else had various degrees of smiles, but none as bright as Ginny's. They lapsed into silence as they pulled out books and parchment and began to study their various subjects. Ginny had pulled out _Familiar Fancy_ again, flipped it open to a marked page, and then stood to go look for a book.

Draco waited a minute, then slipped into the stacks without being seen. He walked through the long labyrinthine aisles until he spotted her down the Magical Creatures section. She stood with her back turned slightly to him and he could see she had a book open and was reading intently. He snuck up behind her and read over her shoulder for a full minute before she sensed someone behind her.

She turned quickly and gasped, dropping the book, startled to find someone so close. The book hit the floor with a _thud!_ and lay splayed on the floor with the gold title shining on the brown leather cover, _Getting Familiar with Your Familiar._

"Draco!" she whispered, looking up and down the aisle. They couldn't be seen at the moment, but someone was coming fast to investigate. "Come on!"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him deeper into the maze of shelves until she spotted a nook around one aisle and between two end caps against a wall. Hiding in the shadows, they stood nearly toe-to-toe breathing quietly and straining their ears for sounds of approaching footsteps, but none came. She finally turned to look up at him and found him staring at their still-grasped hands.

"Oh, sorry," she whispered, letting go.

"Don't be," he replied, just as quiet.

She could feel his warm minty breath on her face and blushed at the lack of space between them.

He smirked at the color in her cheeks,"Now you can tell them you've held my hand."

She looked at him a little confused.

He propped his hand over her head, leaving an easy escape open to her, and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "You have touched the Forbidden Fruit, Pet," he said, leaning back to look in her eyes and taking her hand again.

Her eyes widened in mortification, her face now positively inflamed and her whisper came out in a squeak, "_How-_?"

"I was behind the tapestry on my way to lunch that day," he said shrugging, then slowly tugged her hand up to his lips. Looking into eyes the colour of melted chocolate, he whispered, "Taste the fruit, Eve," before lightly kissing her hand.

She swallowed, looking from her hand to his stormy eyes.

"Are you the fruit or the serpent?" she asked breathlessly.

He smirked, "You tell me, Pet."

Ginny returned his smirk with a smile as she twisted her hand to link their fingers and reached up to grasp his green and grey striped tie. Slowly, her heart pounding in her chest, she pulled him closer, and kissed him.

*note* It seems funny that we Swots think libraries can be such romantic places! Please review; whether you like my story/chapter or not, it would be nice to know what is liked and what needs work. Thank you in advance!


	7. Chapter 7: Jasper Envy

*note* Sorry it's been so long! Hopefully this _longer_ chapter will make up for it!

Thanks to **Princess Patterson** and** PROCRASTINATOR TOMORROW** for adding me to your Story Alerts and thanks to **mercedescello** for adding me to your Favorites!

Chapter 7: Jasper Envy (Ginny)

"You _kissed_ him!" exclaimed Hermione, grinning at Ginny and taking a drink of pumpkin juice.

She, Ginny, and Luna sat on a red and gold checkered blanket by the lake. It was a beautiful Saturday and the following day was Halloween and the first Hogsmeade trip of the year.

"Well- he _definitely_ kissed me, too," said Ginny gleefully, taking a sandwich from the basket Hermione had packed with Dobby's help in the kitchens.

Luna sat with her legs stretched out in front of her, leaning back on her elbows, her face turned to the sunny sky. "I think it's about time," she said looking around at Ginny and shielding her eyes with one hand. "He's been keen on you since we talked to Dumbledore our first night here."

"You think?" Ginny grinned and broke into giggles. "Sorry," she said, "I can be such a _girl_ sometimes!" She took a slow deep breath, "Okay, I'm back. It's just that I'm-,"

"Happy," supplied Luna, smiling and leaning back again.

"Nothing wrong with that!" said Hermione nodding. "Oh, and did you find what you were looking for before-," she wiggled her eyebrows.

Ginny grinned again, her face a little flushed. "Yes. The book said that the familiar will choose the person; bit like the wand. I never really thought about it before, but Harry got Hedwig for his birthday, Crookshanks chose you, and Pigwidgeon was given to Ron. 'They come to you when you realize you need them or unexpectedly'," she quoted from the book, then sighed, "It's not very definite."

"So you just have to wait?" asked Hermione.

"Seems that way," nodded Ginny, "I hope it's not a toad," and then thinking of Petigrew, said, "or a rat."

The following morning dawned cool and grey. A thick fog covered the grounds and seemed to reach right up to the sky. The Hogsmeade trip was scheduled for lunch-time and then there was the Halloween Feast that evening with the added bonus that it was a masked costume party- dress as you please with at least an eye mask. The buzz of the castle was that Dumbledore had booked The Weird Sisters again… or they would just be playing the WWN really loudly on a wireless, no one was sure.

Ginny sat bolt-upright in her bed as a rumble of thunder rolled across the sky. It was hard to tell what time it was with no proper sunlight, but once she was awake she couldn't go back to sleep. She crawled out from under her warm covers and shivering, peeked out into the dormitory; no one else was awake. She sighed in defeat and grabbed her plush pale-gold robe as she slipped on the slippers she had beside her bed. She went to her trunk at the foot of her bed and opened it. She tilted her head, thinking- she didn't want to wear her school uniform, since it was the weekend so she took out a black tank top, maroon button-up flannel with complimentary gold and black stripes crossing here and there, a pair of skinny jeans, and from the bottom of her trunk she pulled out a pair of black suede knee-high fur-lined moccasin boots that laced up the sides. Putting everything in a bag with her wand, she headed to the bathroom.

After she was showered and dressed, she stood looking in the mirror. Her long hair fell to the middle of her back in a sheet of fiery ginger. She pursed her lips and pulled out her wand, pointing it at the top of her forehead and said, "_Frimbia_." A fringe appeared that went down just past her eyebrows. The sides were longer so that it curved gently across her brow. She tilted her head this way and that and grinned. She was sure she looked at least one year older.

When she got back to the Gryffindor common room it was still empty but a fire was crackling merrily, filling the room with its heat and glow. The grandfather clock by the portrait hole chimed 6 o'clock. Sighing, she tiptoed up the stairs to her dormitory and pushed open the door quietly. She put her things away and picked up her school bag and went back downstairs. She was able to finish her homework before the clock chimed half-past seven. Yawning and stretching she packed up her bag and headed down for breakfast.

Only six others were up this early on a weekend and the variously colored attire of weekend dress mottled the Great Hall. Ginny looked at the handful of others, her eyes immediately drawn to the white-blonde head at the Slytherin table. Draco looked up and smirked when she turned her nose in the air and walked to the Gryffindor table. She sat down in such a way that she could see him with the excuse of looking to the doors to see if any friends were entering the Great Hall. She piled her plate with bacon, toast, eggs, and potatoes and poured a cup of strong black tea.

She finished eating as Draco stood up to leave. He locked eyes with her for a split-second, smirked and then sauntered to the doorway of the Great Hall where Blaise caught him and started talking to him.

Ginny pulled out her wand and pointing it at her mouth said, "_Tersus Os_." A warm cinnamon flavor filled her mouth. She breathed in, tasting it and smiled.

Luna came up to her, "I do love hygienic magic. You've finished eating, then?"

Ginny turned to wish her a Happy Halloween and couldn't help smiling. Luna was wearing black and orange stripped leggings with purple sneakers and shorts, a yellow top with a smiling orange jack-o-lantern on it, a red and yellow stripped scarf that lay loosely around her neck, and a red beret topped with a purple bauble. "Yes, I did. You look very Autumn today, Luna."

"You're very kind. See you in Hogsmeade later?" asked Luna.

"Sure, we can go together," Ginny said standing up to leave. Luna nodded then turned to go to the Ravenclaw table.

She saw Luna kiss the top of Ron's head and say, "Good Morning, Ron! Harry, Hermione," she nodded at the other two.

Ron's ears turned red, but he looked pleased. Harry and Hermione exchanged shy glances.

Ginny grinned until she reached the door; Draco and Blaise were still blocking the exit, talking.

"Do you mind? You're blocking the door," said Ginny crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently.

Draco rolled his eyes at Blaise and stepped to one side. "No, we don't mind, _Princess_," he said sweeping his arms and bowing to her mockingly, "Please, go right ahead!"

Blaise sniggered.

Ginny glared at them both as she passed and headed up the stairs. She slipped into an empty classroom and peeked out of the door. A minute went by before she heard footsteps approaching. Draco was walking by in his version of casual; a black suit and button-up dress shirt and shiny shoes, with his hands in his pockets. She reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him into the room and shut the door quickly.

"How'd we do?" asked Ginny turning around to face him. He was already leaning on a desk with his arms crossed like he owned the place, grinning.

"Blaise believed it," he said as she walked over to stand in front of him. He reached up to touch her hair, "Nice."

She beamed at him. His grin turned sly, "You know, you can just send me a message if you want to talk."

"Talk, yes," she said standing on tip toes and kissing him, "Kiss, no." He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "Besides, I don't have an animal yet, so…" she shrugged.

"Well, see, that's where you're wrong," he said.

She raised one eyebrow as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small green box tied with a silver ribbon.

"Er, it's not a toad, is it?" she asked looking at the size of it.

"Do you really think I would do that to you?" he said smirking. "Open it."

She took the box and untied the ribbon. Looking at Draco once more, she pulled off the lid and looked inside. She smiled and picked up a Kelly-green satin ribbon and held it so that the pendant rotated slowly at eye-level. It was a silver cube poison pendant the size of a die with the letters JA-SP-ER engraved on three consecutive sides. The back side had the Gryffindor crest engraved on it, and the bottom an ornate GW.

"It's beautiful, Draco, but I've never seen an animal like this before," she said playfully. "So who is Jasper?" she asked.

"Wait here," he said turning to open the door a crack. He peeked into the corridor and made a _T-t-t_ noise with his tongue. A minute went by before he bent down to scoop something off the floor that Ginny couldn't see. "When I found this little guy I knew he was yours," he turned around. He held a tiny blue-grey kitten with the most beautiful grass-green eyes she had ever seen.

"Draco, he's adorable!" she crooned holding out her hands as he handed it to her. She buried her face into its thick, downy fur and chuckled. "He smells like you," she said looking at Draco out of the corner of her eye.

He grinned as he put the ribbon and pendant around Jasper's neck. The ribbon's ends fused together seamlessly and then contracted to the right fit. "It'll grow with him and it's indestructible," he said petting Jasper, but looking at her. "Plus, the pendant has a Metamorph charm on it so he will look different each time he is carrying a message- that way no one will know it's the same animal and suspicions won't be raised if you and I are seen with him."

Ginny looked at him, eyes wide, "Wow, you really thought this through! You're-,"

"Amazing? Brilliant? handsome?" he grinned.

"Yes," she said simply looking back at Jasper.

His grin grew wider as he watched her fall in love with the tiny fur ball, then she started chuckling.

"What?" he asked, "What's so funny?"

She struggled to make herself coherent, "_You- you gave- me a _Slytherin_ kitten!_"

"What?" he started, then looked at the kitten; grey-blue fur, green eyes, matching green ribbon with silver pendant. Grinning broadly he said, "All the better for you to remember me by," and then joined in the light-hearted laughter that echoed through the room.

"He is sweet," said Luna walking beside Ginny who had Jasper in her shoulder bag. They were making their way to Hogsmeade through the dense fog that inhibited their view to only a few feet around them.

Ginny smiled but looked around. It was eerily quiet in the fog, as though sound could only travel so far in it before being swallowed up. "I think it's actually gotten thicker since this morning," she said nervously. They walked on in silence for a few minutes, their shoes crunching on the gravel path. "I suppose we're heading in the right direction?"

"We'll get there," said Luna smiling down at the kitten as though she was reassuring him instead of Ginny.

Suddenly they heard multiple fast footfalls crunching down the path behind them. They stopped and turned, Ginny pulled out her wand. "_Lumos_," she whispered, then called, "Hello?" The footsteps stopped, then started again, slowly. Ginny squinted through the fog. Finally she caught sight of four lit wand tips. Shadows slowly followed.

"You!" said Ginny sighing with relief as Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Neville came into view. "Why would you run through this?" she said waving her hand through the fog. It moved slowly in the wake of her hand. "you're going to break your necks."

"It was actually kind of exhilarating," said Hermione grinning over at Harry.

Ginny looked down and saw that they were holding hands.

"Hello, Luna," said Ron nodding at her.

"Hello, Ron," she smiled at him. "This is nice. We can all go together- like friends!"

"We are friends," everyone chorused at her. Her smile brightened. She took Ron's hand and started walking in, what they assumed, was the general direction of Hogsmeade.

"There's something up ahead," said Neville, squinting.

It was Hagrid's hut.

Hermione sighed, "We took the wrong path, we've turned too far south."

"Maybe Hagrid can come, too," said Luna walking up to Hagrid's front door and knocking on it.

They heard rustling inside and Fang's booming bark. A second later, Hagrid opened the door and looked down at them.

"Did yeh mean ter find me, or did yeh get lost in the fog, too?" he said grinning.

"Was someone else here?" asked Ron.

Hagrid waved his massive hand airly, nearly knocking Harry and Hermione over, "Aye, jus' some firs' years wandering the grounds. Would yeh like some tea?"

"Actually, we were wondering if you'd like to go into Hogsmeade with us," said Harry.

"Nah, felt like stayin' home today," answered Hagrid, "Even a thestral could get lost in fog like this!" he eyed them with a grin for a reaction to his joke, finally landing on Neville who smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, we got lost," he said.

"Ah! So you didn't come to see me!" he said dramatically, chuckling.

In the awkward silence that followed, Jasper meowed inside Ginny's bag.

"Wha's tha'?" asked Hagrid.

"Oh!" exclaimed Ginny, "It's my new Familiar! His name is Jasper and he's a British Shorthair. Isn't he sweet?" she said reaching into her bag and pulling said kitten out and setting him on the table.

Hermione "awed," and ran around the table to get a closer look, "When did you get him? _How_ did you get him?"

"Draco gave him to me this morning after breakfast," Ginny said smiling as Jasper romped across the table to Fang who watched the tiny creature gambling towards him. They touched noses for a second before Fang gave an almighty lick, knocking Jasper over. He jumped up and began batting at Fang's tongue as he continued to try to lick him clean.

"Draco? You mean Malfoy?" asked Hagrid, pulling everyone's attention back to the conversation.

"Yeah," said Ron who was now scowling at Jasper. "The latest Order development is that he's now on our side, like Snape," he said rolling his eyes.

"Ah yea', Dumbledore might'a mentioned it," said Hagrid.

"Ron is the only one not giving him a chance," said Ginny frowning at him.

"Well, can't really blame 'im, can you?" asked Hagrid.

"Hagrid!" said Hermione and Harry.

"You're the one who told us to trust Snape in our first year!" said Harry.

"Dumbledore trusts Draco," said Neville quietly.

"Yeah, but he tried to get Hagrid in trouble our first year with Norbert, remember?" said Ron, relieved to find someone on his side.

"But nothing happened- no one outside of this hut even knows about Norbert," said Hermione crossing her arms, "including some of the people in it!"

"Yeah, but what about when he tried to get Buckbeak killed in our third year?" retorted Ron. "And telling Rita Skeeter all that stuff during the Triwizard Tournament? And don't tell me you've forgot about the Inquisitorial Squad last year."

"Oh, Ron!" huffed Ginny, "I'm not saying he didn't do those things or that, at those times, he wasn't being a-,"

"Complete arse," said a voice behind all of them.

They all turned to the still open door. Draco was leaning on the door frame with his hands in his pockets.

"Draco!" said Ginny blushing.

"What are_ you_ doing here?" asked Ron rudely.

Draco looked at him. "As I am no longer taking Care of Magical Creatures and cannot be seen doing things out of the ordinary, Professor Dumbledore felt this fog would be the perfect cover to find the Care of Magical Creatures Professor," he inclined his head to Hagrid, "and apologize for my past actions against him."

It was amazing how he could say and do the right thing, but still sound unmoved.

Hagrid squared his shoulders and grunted, "He did, eh? Good man, Dumbledore."

"He hasn't _actually_ said he was sorry, Hagrid," said Ron smirking at Draco.

"Ron! At least he's making an effort, which is more than I can say about you!" Ginny growled.

"It's alright, Ginny," said Draco shrugging. He continued to stare at Ron until Ron looked away, then looking to Hagrid, he said, "I apologize for being a prat, Professor Hagrid."

Hagrid nodded. "Well, tha's a start," he said gruffly.

Draco smirked at Ron, who opened his mouth to protest when-

"I'd back off if I were you," said Draco under his breath.

Ron whipped around pulling out his wand, and pointed it at him, but Draco was looking at Ginny. She was giving Ron such a look that he was surprised flames didn't actually shoot out of her eyes. He noticed they were the color of spiced tea when she was mad.

"Shut your mouth, Malfoy!" said Ron glaring at him.

Draco raised his empty hands, palms forward, "Have you never been on the receiving end of one of your dear sister's Bat-Bogey hexes before?" he smiled as though the memory was funny, rather than embarrassing, making the others chuckle.

"We're on the same side now, Ron," said Luna who had wandered around behind him and put her hand on his arm. "A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand." Ron looked down at her. "There will always be 'burned bridges', but why is it rarely thought of to rebuild?" she said, looking at him with her wide blue eyes imploringly.

"Because it's hard work; it's easier to blow things up than to repair them," said Hermione.

Ron lowered his wand, but still frowned at Draco.

"We're not asking you to be best mates, just give him a chance to make amends," said Luna.

Ron looked at Ginny. She sighed, eyes softening. "Ron, please?"

He looked from her slowly over to Draco, "Whatever," he said sulkily.

Luna beamed at him, "Now, was that so hard?"

Ron looked at her with one eyebrow raised, "Yes," he said looking at Ginny again.

"Don't worry, Draco will take good care of Ginny," said Luna following Ron's gaze and correctly interpreting his concerned look.

"What do you mean?" asked Ron suspiciously looking back into Luna's protuberant eyes.

"They're _together_, Ron. Surely you can tell by the way they look at each other when they think no one is looking?" she said as though explaining something to a frustrated toddler.

Ron looked around at Ginny, who was blushing and biting her lip, looking at Draco, then whipped around to face the object of Ginny's affectionate gaze. Draco was smirking at her and did not see Ron diving at him until he lay flat on his back in Hagrid's front yard.


	8. Chapter 8: Halloween

*note* some material is from Felicity Ssn2 Ep16. -that is not mine… neither are the characters. The last line I give credit to John Mayer for his song of the same name. And thank you to **Gaby Weasley Malfoy** for adding my story to your favorites and to **ShinoHina4eva** for adding my story to your story alerts! Please enjoy!

Chapter 8: Halloween (Draco)

Draco opened his eyes and knew immediately that he was in the hospital wing. He looked over to the bed next to him and saw Ron, still out cold.

"Hey," he croaked reaching over to shake his shoulder, "You dead?"

Ron groaned and without opening his eyes mumbled, "Yeah," into his pillow.

Draco chuckled and winced, his face was still sore, as he sat up.

Ron opened his eyes and slowly looked over at him.

"So, we kind of Muggle-dueled," said Draco. He had heard of it before, but he'd never participated before- his father would be appalled.

"Yeah," said Ron again, feeling his jaw. "Who do you think won?"

"Oh, I _seriously_ doubt it was you."

"I was going to say the same thing."

They grinned, then grimaced at each other.

The party had been in full-swing for twenty minutes already. _W__here was she_?

Draco walked through the party looking for Ginny's long, ginger mane. He hadn't seen her since Hagrid's. His and Ron's punishment for fighting had been banishment from Hogsmeade for the day and they had had to stay in the hospital wing and were only allowed to leave one hour before the party so that they could get ready. He wore his all-black suit again but with a hooded black velvet cloak and complementary black eye mask. His hair was slicked back and he had used the same spell he had accidently hit Hermione with in their fourth year to grow his canine teeth (but only a fraction of the size hers had ended up becoming) to complete his vampire costume.

He had reached the far end of the Great Hall where Blaise; dressed as Death, Theodore; dressed as a Quidditch captain, Crabbe; who wore his moss-green dress robes and a pair of bat deely-boppers, and Goyle; dressed as a troll, all wearing black eye-masks, stood in a small group. When he reached them, he saw Millicent and Pansy, dressed as a pink fairy with wings and a ballerina, respectively, both wearing pink eye masks, come over with drinks in both hands. Millicent gave one to Crabbe and then playfully bopped a bat, sending it waving madly (Crabbe eyed it wearily before turning a tight-lipped smile on her), while Pansy gave one of her drinks to Blaise, who looked smugly back at Draco.

Looking around again, Draco spied Professor Dumbledore by the refreshments table. He wasn't quiet sure what he was supposed to be, he looked fairly normal, actually but for the weird hat he was wearing and his hand- it still appeared shriveled and black- like a grotesque glove.

Then, suddenly the students around Draco were all looking over his shoulder and he heard Pansy scoff. "Who's _that_?"

Draco thought she sounded jealous, so he turned to follow their gazes and some of those around them. He felt his mouth fall open. There in the entrance stood a girl he did not recognize and by the curious attention she was earning just standing there, no one else seemed to know either.

She had long, straight, raven-black hair that fell to her waist and flawless, porcelain skin. She wore a long white flowing, sleeveless dress that was gathered at the waist by braided gold ribbons whose end dangled at her feet. She had on a gold eye mask, and a silver crescent moon on a long, thin gold chain round her neck. There was a slit that went up one side of the dress to above her knee that showed off the Roman-style black sandals that wrapped up her shins to just below her knee. She carried a bow and had a green quiver, with an encircling silver serpent painted around it full of silver arrows strung across her back.

Draco shook himself. "I believe she would be the Greek Goddess, Artemis," he smirked at Pansy who looked positively cross at the attention the girl was getting.

She was walking around the edge of the dance floor (the house tables stood against the walls). As she passed, heads turned to watch her progress then, slowly, returned back to what they were doing before the girl's arrival. People started dancing again and the talk around the Great Hall rose in volume once more.

It appeared she was looking for someone and Draco raised an eyebrow when she turned to see him and locked her eyes onto his. She slung the bow across her back with the quiver as she appeared to float her way over to him.

"Are you looking for someone?" he asked when she stopped right in front of him.

She leaned close to speak in his ear. "You," she replied in a voice he found very familiar.

"Er, do I know you?" he asked, confused.

She gave him a half-smile, "Let's take a walk." She tilted her head to indicate the back doors that stood open to the foggy gardens and held out her hand, waiting for him to take it. He looked around the Hall once more before turning back to her.

"You won't find who you're looking for in there," she said quietly.

Draco looked round at her suspiciously and she moved her hand closer to him. Slowly he took it and she led him out into the fog that quickly engulfed them. It was so thick it could make anyone claustrophobic with prolonged exposure.

She guided him along the edge of the garden in silence for a few minutes and then turned and gently pushed him between two thick potted evergreens.

"What do you mean I won't find her? Where is she? Who do you think I was looking for?" he frowned; he was sounding paranoid.

She grinned, confusing him even more, and stepped closer to him. He backed away until his back bumped into the castle wall.

She looked into his stormy gray eyes, "You won't find me in there because I'm right here," she said closing the space between them, her hands splayed on his chest.

Standing on tiptoes, one hand tightly grasping his lapel, she slid the other up his chest and around to the back of his neck and pulled him to her. He was surprised at how strong she was.

He pulled back and his head met the cold stone wall, but when her lips touched his, he tentatively kissed back. He knew these lips, the feel of them; their taste. She swallowed his moan as he deepened the kiss and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer; one hand around her back, the other lay possessively at her waist.

They were both breathless when it ended.

"Ginny," breathed Draco, looking at her with new eyes, "how-?"

"You gave me the idea," she said, "I charmed my mask."

She took it off and shook out her hair, which was now as ginger as ever and her delicate freckles were once again sprinkled across her nose and cheeks.

"Brilliant," he said grinning as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him again. She giggled. "And your quiver is so very Slytherin. An outright, if not silent, declaration?"

She laughed, "Exactly; and it will probably keep a Gryffindor like me off the radar. They probably think I'm in Slytherin, too." She laid her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat.

They heard a _thunk_ and a shriek right before a splash that caused them to jump apart.

"Quick!" whispered Draco, spinning her until she was behind him so she could put on her mask before anyone saw them together.

With it in place and she looking like Artemis again, he took her hand and they went in search of the culprit. By the time they found the fountain, a small crowd had gathered and was quickly getting larger. Laughter erupted when Pansy was spotted slipping and sputtering as she tried to remove herself from the water. When she saw Draco and his companion her face turned a brilliant shade of red.

"What are you doing in there?" asked Blaise trying to keep a grin from spreading across his face as he reached out to help her.

Her eyes darted to Draco and Ginny again before glaring at Blaise.

"I was just- getting some air and fell in because of this stupid fog!" she shrieked, slashing her arm through the air as if to shoo away the fog and sent water spraying all over the crowed who laughed harder.

"Alright, alright! Clear off!" Blaise shouted over his shoulder as she finally got her feet on dry ground.

Shaking their heads, the group retreated back inside, no doubt to tell what had happened.

"Come on, Blaise!" Pansy pouted. She stormed away, slipping here and there, with her nose in the air and refused to look over at Draco again.

When they were alone again, Ginny turned to him, "I thought she was happy with him?"

"Well, Pansy isn't easily satisfied. She always wants what she can't have," he said, looking from where Pansy and Blaise had disappeared through the fog and into Ginny's eyes. They were still her own chocolate brown. He watched as she then looked him up and down.

"Mmm, I can see why," she said nudging him with her shoulder. He grinned and took her hand.

They walked back into the garden, sticking to the paths this time. After a minute of silence, she looked up at him, "You and I being together- Do you ever feel like we're slow dancing in a burning room?"


	9. Chapter 9: Lost

*note* Thank you to **SecretPain121208** and **Servant of Time **for adding my story to your Favorites! Thank you **xfictionfanx**, **maddieeeee**, and **TheQueenOfTheFoxes** for adding my story to your Story Alerts! Some material is from Straylight Run- Existentialism on Prom Night; that and these characters are not owned by me. Please read and review! Enjoy!

Chapter 9: Lost (Ginny, Draco)

Ginny ran through the Forbidden Forest. It was dark despite the full moon she knew to be there above the tree tops. She was alone, wearing only her thin white sleeveless nightgown. Her bare feet were numb as she crunched over the dead leaves and snow that had found its way through the canopy of bare branches overhead. Her lungs burned with each breath but she had to keep going; she had to get there and fast.

_But, where?_ she thought, slipping to a stop.

The mist of her breath rose in the darkness as she looked around, unsure. She was on the edge of a clearing where the snow was significantly deeper and the moon nearly gave it the appearance of mid-day. In the silence she heard a howl from somewhere close behind her.

Her heart pounding in her throat, she spun around, her hair and gown flying around her as though caught up in a wind. Her eyes, still dazzled by the glow of the clearing, searched frantically for the beast. Finally, she saw eyes gleaming as it stalked toward her between two huge yew trees.

It snarled, baring long sharp white teeth, hackles raised, and ears back. Its fur blended into the pure white snow, making it hard to see where frozen ice crystals ended and beast began.

Ginny fruitlessly searched for her wand, coming up empty handed; it was just her against wolf. Before she could decide what her next move for survival was, it lunged and she screamed, but no sound came out.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, so much so, that she was able to take another deep breath. Filling her lungs with frosty air, she ducked her head under her arms as she opened her mouth in another silent scream as the wolf soared over her head and landed softly behind her.

Again, hair and cloth flew as she whipped around to face it, but it was running away from her and straight at-

"Tom?" Ginny gasped.

There on the other side of the clearing stood Tom Riddle as she remembered him from three years ago. Tall, dark haired, handsome Tom stood in the knee-deep snow smiling at her and holding out his hand as though waiting for her to take it and join him. He didn't seem to notice the great wolf as it bounded towards him growling and snarling.

Ginny could feel the hairs on her neck standing on end at the fierce sounds tearing from its throat and stared in horror as the wolf leapt up and seized Tom's out stretched hand.

Tom's smile turned to a snarl of his own and his eyes, smiling moments before, now shown scarlet as he spun with the wolf's momentum and sent it flying back towards her. She gasped as it skidded to a halt at her feet, sending a wave of powdery snow all over her; blinding her.

Before she could clear the icy spray from her eyes the wolf had already sprung to its feet, circled her, and stood at her side still snarling at Tom. She wiped her hand across her eyes and blinking, looked down. When the silver eyes met and held hers, she fell to her knees in the snow, wrapping her arms around the wolf's neck.

"Draco," she said as a tear rolled unbidden down her cheek.

He turned his head and licked the tear away, sending goose-bumps across her skin as she blushed. She trembled as they looked across the clearing at Tom, but he was Voldemort now.

His pale face reflected the moonlight almost as bright as the snow and his head appeared to be disembodied; his black robes blending into the dark forest behind him. His pitiless eyes gleamed blood-red in his furry as he raised his wand and pointed it at Ginny's heart.

Despite whispering, his words still carried over to them. "Sing me something soft, sad, and delicate or loud and out of key, sing me anything."

Ginny gaped at him, completely discombobulated, as Draco growled at her side.

Voldemort smiled his mirthless smile, "Sing like you think no one's listening."

_You would kill for this? _she thought.

_Just a little bit_, answered his cold voice in her head.

"Just a little bit?" she repeated out loud this time and shook her head. With disgust evident in her voice she said, "You would, you would."

She took a deep breath and as she opened her mouth to sing, a sudden flash of green light blinded her.

There was a loud howl as finally, she was able to scream.

"NOOOO!"

Draco sat bolt-upright in bed, terrified and looked around the moonlit room. He could hear whimpering. To his right a body thrashed around, tangling itself in blankets and sheets until sobbing, it fell to the floor where it lay still except for the shaking.

Quickly he grabbed his wand off the bedside table and silently cast Muffliato at Madam Pomfrey's office, then jumped out of his bed only to realize tears were silently coursing down his own cheeks. He quickly wiped his eyes on his sleeves as he struggled to untangle the body that was crying so heart-breakingly, trapped within the sheets.

He managed to uncover her head and gently swept tangled ginger locks from her pale face. Golden eyelashes tipped with diamond-like tears fluttered open and warm brown, fear-filled eyes stared into his.

"Draco?" she whispered, her voice hitched as she reached up to brush her tears away.

"It's alright,Ginny, Love," he said trying to sound reassuring, "It was just a night-mare," his voice caught.

She was still cocooned in her blankets so he lifted her and sat down on his bed against his headboard, cradling her between his knees. She rested her head on his chest and listened to his heart slow as he rubbed her back.

They were in the hospital wing. Both had caught terrible colds from staying out in the grounds for so long- walking around the garden again and again. A bleary-eyed Madam Pomfrey had merely lead them to a bed each, gave them doses of Pepperup Potion insisting that they stay the night since it was well past curfew, and without another word, she had gone to bed in her office quarters.

Draco thought Ginny had fallen asleep until she started talking.

"I was lost in the Forest. It was so cold. Voldemort," she felt him go still, "he was there, and you- were a wolf, and Vol- he," she shivered at the memory and he wrapped his arms around her tighter.

"He killed-," he couldn't say it either, but Ginny nodded slowly.

"You, too?" she whispered, looking up at him with watery eyes, managing to get her arms around him. They were like ice- she was like ice- as if she really had been running in the forest...

"Yeah."

They held each other fiercely, and not until they heard Madam Pomfrey moving around in her office hours later did they go back to their respective beds only to be bustled out and sent on their way to get ready for classes later that morning.


	10. Chapter 10: Goodnight

**Sorry for how long it's taken, my readers; I'm just making this up as I go along, because that's how I roll ****;-)**** and pesky things like school and various other life responsibilities keep cropping up in my day to day, thoroughly preventing me from sitting down and writing out another chapter. Thank you **Trueheart93** for adding my story to your Story Alerts and**isolemlnysweariamuptonogood** for adding my story to your Favorite Stories!**** Now, if only I could get some reviews!**** :-(** ***hint*hint* seriously though, 9 chapters (obviously not counting this one) and I've only got 1 review: Thank you, **mercedescello**! Credit goes to The Rasums' song Night After Night for inspiring the last chapter, and the beginning of this one ****:-)****Some of the lyrics are changed, though.**

Chapter 10: Goodnight (Ginny)

Ginny felt raw all through November; she had had the same nightmare now almost every night and had learned from Draco that he had too.

Around the same time, on those terrifying nights, Jasper would claw his way up Ginny's gold-trimmed, scarlet duvet or Draco's silver-trimmed emerald one, looking like a tan and white Norwegian Forest with gold eyes or an Egyptian Mau with orange eyes or any number of combinations among the many disguises his pendant granted, and would only turn back to his British Shorthair self as soon as the message inside said pendant was relieved from him.

…_I'm there with you, but time after time I lose again, night after night I wake up shaking because my world is breaking- I wake up crying because I think you're dying…_ Draco had written in a shaky hand one night several weeks after their stay in the hospital wing. (He also told her he would hex her if she told anyone- Malfoy's didn't get scared or cry.)

Ginny gave a shaky laugh when she had written back that she had begun sleeping with her curtains wide open to let the moonlight in and had had to put a silencing charm around her bed because she woke up screaming, thoroughly scaring her dorm-mates on those occasions.

By December, their housemates began to notice the dark circles under their eyes, their irritability from lack of sleep, and the professors had noticed a decline in their work. Their Quidditch performances were far from their usual grandeur. Hufflepuff would have beat the Slytherins if the chasers hadn't been extra ruthless along with the beaters ending with a score of 160-150 even though the Hufflepuff seeker had caught the snitch before Draco had even seen it and Gryffindor only won when Harry caught the snitch when they were down by 130 because Ginny had failed to score every time she had the quaffle. Where Ginny had a slew of friends encourage her to go to the hospital wing, Draco was urged only by Ginny's letters- the Slytherins he was closest to just thought the pressures of being a Death Eater were becoming too great for him and his sleep-deprived temper only confirmed it in their eyes.

But they were both too stubborn for their own goods.

There was still talk about the girl from the Halloween dance, but as none fitting that description could be found, the curiosity was beginning to wear on some as the theories circled and circled, but reached no definition. Draco had been hounded by one and all of the Slytherins, but told everyone he didn't recognize the raven-haired beauty (which was the truth, he hadn't recognize _her_, but the girl behind the mask was a whole other story). Ginny's and his relationship was still under the radar; no one noticed anything out of the ordinary, except maybe (what seemed like) quite a few more kittens running round Hogwarts as of late.

Finally, they couldn't take it anymore and the weekend before the Christmas holiday, after Jasper had appeared, yet again, at the foot of Draco's bed (as a blue-eyed, red Abyssinian this time) they finally agreed to go back to Madam Pomfrey and receive a Sleeping Draught.

The next day was the Friday before Christmas holiday and it took three days' time just to get to dinner, at least that's how it felt to Ginny. She didn't even bother to dip out any food onto her plate and instead chose to sit with chin in hand, elbow on table, and stare absentmindedly towards the Slytherin table. Draco picked at his roast beef, but gave it up as a bad job and glanced up at Ginny and nodded infinitesimally as he rose to leave.

Ginny stood, too.

"Where are you going?" asked Ron, his mouth temporarily devoid of mashed potatoes.

"I'm finally going to see Madam Pomfrey," said Ginny leaning in and speaking low so that only he, Harry, and Hermione could hear. "I can't stand it anymore. I'm going to get a Sleeping Draught. I'll see you all in the common room tomorrow morning before we leave to go to The Burrow. 'Night," she said, and turned to leave.

"'Night," they chorused after her. They followed her with their eyes as she left through the doors, concerned still, but relieved she had finally relented.

Draco stood out in the hall waiting for her. "Suppose we should get some sort of overnight bag together before heading up?" he asked.

"Good idea, but let's be quick about it before anyone else finishes," answered Ginny.

Fifteen minutes later they met up. Ginny carried a purple bag with bright yellow stars slung across her chest and shoulder while Draco carried a black leather duffle. Smiling tiredly, they walked together, feeling safe in the fact that everyone else was in the Great Hall. Ginny's hand brushed his and he moved to intertwine their fingers. She smiled up at him and leaned her head on his arm. Because Ginny was studying for her O.W.L.s this year, they'd had little time together in the past couple of months, just the odd times between classes where they passed in the corridors.

When they arrived at the hospital wing Draco stopped short. Ginny turned questioningly, "What-" but got no further before he leaned down to brush his lips across hers.

"We'll have to say our good nights out here," he whispered.

"We'd better make it good then," smiled Ginny as she slowly looked up at him.

He grinned and leaned down, their lips a breath away, when suddenly the door to the hospital wing flew open. Ginny and Draco jumped apart as Madam Pomfrey gasped.

"Good gracious! What are you two doing here?" she nearly shouted, her hand over her heart. "Oh! You gave me such a fright! Well clearly I'm running late for dinner…" she trailed off as her eyes bounced from one red-faced student to the next.

"Sleeping Draught," they said at the same time.

"If you please, Madam Pomfrey," mumbled Ginny, "nightmares for the past couple of months have prevented any kind of decent sleep."

"Oh, yes, you look dead on your feet, the both of you. Come on then! The sooner I get you situated, the sooner I can go eat," she chuckled.

Ginny and Draco dragged their feet behind her to the end of the ward and sat down on two consecutive beds.

"Here," said Madam Pomfrey waving her wand vaguely behind her so that two sets of curtains landed around the beds. "Go ahead and change into your night things. You've got to be ready for sleep right when you take it, as it works so quickly."

Ginny mumbled a 'thank you' as she stood to change.

A few minutes later, after dressing in a pair of green plaid-flannel pajama pants and a black tee shirt and brushing her teeth at the basin beside her bed, Ginny pulled back the curtains while brushing out her hair to reveal Draco sitting on his bed in soft black cotton pajama pants and a matching tee shirt.

She bit her lip to keep the shy smile at bay and looked away to the sometimes too-observant Matron.

"Are you two ready, then?" she asked, holding out a goblet to each of them.

They glanced at each other before taking the goblets in hand.

"Madam Pomfrey," started Draco silkily, "you don't have to wait for us if you'd like to head down to dinner; we understand you're hungry, and you don't have to worry about us, we'll take the lot in one drink, t-t-trust me!" he said, unable to stifle a huge yawn and, therefore, making his point.

Madam Pomfrey eyed him, pursed her lips, and raised one thin eyebrow. Taking a slow and deliberate breath, she said, "Alright. This goes against my better judgement, but I am famished!"

"Thank you, Madam. Enjoy your dinner," he said as they all heard her stomach give an impatient growl.

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. Good night to you both."

They waited until she had shut the door behind her before they relaxed enough to sit on their beds. Ginny set her goblet down on her bedside table then pulled her feet up onto her bed and continued to brush out her hair over her shoulder.

His feet still on the stone floor as he leaned back on his elbows, Draco watched her slow movements. "Aren't your feet going to be cold?"

"Mm? Oh, no. I can't stand sleeping with socks on," said Ginny as she tossed her hair back over her shoulder and began absently tapping her palm with the back of her brush. "What about you?" she said pointing to his bare feet with it.

He gave half of a shrug, "Malfoy feet don't get cold."

Ginny chuckled as she reached around to put the brush in her overnight bag hanging at the foot of her bed.

"I'm going to miss seeing you, you know," she said gloomily.

He smiled sadly, "Me, too."

Yawning, she said, "Sha-a-all we drink to our health, then?"

In answer, he sat up smirking and held his hand out to her. She smiled as she stood and took the few steps over to him and lay her hand in his. He tugged her down to sit by him and reached up to gently stroke her cheek. Her hand found its way to the soft cotton on his chest as she leaned in. Their lips touched in a soft, sweet dance as his hand slipped around to the back of her neck and his fingers trailed through her soft tresses. She moved her hand from the bed up his arm and past his shoulder. Allowing it to linger on his neck a moment, her thumb feeling his quickening pulse, she then trailed her fingers up to tangle in his hair.

When she moved her hand that was still on his chest to the back of his neck, he reluctantly pulled away, leaning his forehead on hers.

"Draco," she whispered, breathing hard, eyes still closed.

"Sweet dreams, Ginny," he whispered in a shaky breath.

***note* Again, sorry for how long it took and for such a short chapter, just wanted to get something out there so you, my readers, whom I love, would not hate me too terribly much. *sorry***


	11. Chapter 11: Incommunicado

Chapter 11: Incommunicado (Draco)

Malfoy Manor at Christmas was always a sight to behold. The immediate grounds around the manor were as green and warm as any spring day- Narcissa didn't like the snow inhibiting the peacocks from strolling round the expansive front garden- and every single one of the twenty-seven front windows had an everlasting single white pillar candle in it, including the large picture window above the double front doors, through which could be seen the golden fifty-candle chandelier and the towering fir that was covered in only white and green fairies and decorated with the same colored ribbons and bows, which was truly magnificent.

So when Draco arrived home at dusk and there was knee-high snow everywhere and the only light that could be seen was a faint flickering one in the last window of the west wing he knew to be his parents', he knew something was wrong. Quickly tapping the black wrought-iron gate with his wand he sprinted through the powdery snow, struggling through the drifts that were clear up to his waist as he dragged his trunk behind him. Crashing through the front doors, he dropped his trunk with a loud bang that echoed in the massive entryway. He only faintly registered the utter lack of tree as he slipped and slid as quickly as he could toward the west wing stairs. Finally making it to the carpeted steps he thundered up the three flights and down the lengthy hallway to their door where he could see the faint light battling the darkness from under it.

"Father? Mother?" he called. He reached out to turn the knob when it was suddenly jerked open and a sobbing Narcissa fell into his arms.

"Oh, Draco!" she cried into his shoulder.

"Mother, what is it? What's going on?" he glanced into the room and saw that no one else was there except a house elf cowering at the foot of the bed. "You, go get a Calming Potion," he ordered and waited for the resulting _pop _before turning back to his mother and guiding her to the chairs in front of the pitiful fire before asking, "Where is Father?"

The house elf appeared at Narcissa's elbow holding a crystal bottle filled with blue potion and a small crystal tumbler on a silver tray. Draco stood and filled the glass to the brim and handed it to her before turning to the fireplace and waving his wand to cause the fire to roar to life. He closed his eyes for a second, letting the warmth wash over him and chase the chills away that he was beginning to feel before turning back to his mother.

She held a now-empty glass in trembling hands in her lap as silent tears ran down her face. Looking into the fire she said, "He's not here. Your father is the only one still in Azkaban on the Dark Lord's orders. Those dementor fiends only have him to feed off of!" Her trembling continued as did her tears. Suddenly, she jumped up and threw the tumbler into the heart of the fire. It looked to Draco as if she had to force herself to look away from the flames and into his eyes as she took the few steps to him and putting her hands on his shoulders she said, "He won't let him out until he speaks to you about your mission!" and then collapsed into Draco's arms; the potion having taken full effect.

Going to stand in front of the Darkest Wizard of all time was quite nerve-racking, to say the least. Draco knew they couldn't see him sweating behind his mask, but he hoped they couldn't see him shaking either. When he reached the thrown-like chair the Dark Lord sat on, he went down on one knee, his head bowed, and took a slow breath, waiting for his turn to speak.

"What news do you bring your Master, youngest Malfoy? Have you made any progress on this most important task?" Voldemort asked.

Draco could picture the sneer he knew to be on the face looming above him. "Yes, my Lord," he was relieved to hear his voice come out steady and strong .

"Well?" Voldemort replied in a deceptively patient voice as he stood to begin circling the kneeling form in front of him.

"I have been able to send through inanimate objects successfully. I had started with non-living things, a ball, a quill, an inkwell- they came back flat, broken, and shattered. I continued to work diligently, my Lord and was able to progress around Halloween to living inanimate objects, an apple, a flower, and a potted plant. They came back scathed as well; a bite in the apple, all the pedals of the flower had vanished, and the potted plant had withered, but just before leaving Hogwarts for Christmas I have been able to make progress with the apple and the flower- they come back whole and untouched," he finished, desperately wanting to look up but forcing himself to continue looking at the ground in front of him and follow the rustling cloak that told him where Voldemort's position was with just his ears.

The sound stopped right behind him and a full minute went by before he felt a long-fingered ice-cold hand on his shoulder that slowly began to squeeze harder and harder until he nearly cried out, then he heard the cold voice issue the orders he had been holding his breath for.

Over a full day had passed since Draco had first come home, it was dark again and he didn't know what time it was, only that he was exhausted. It wasn't until they crossed over the threshold of Malfoy Manor that Lucius allowed his son to take on the majority of his weight. Their wet cloaks had frozen around them and the snow that had clung to them began to fall in icy chunks at their feet.

"Lucius! Draco!" cried his mother as she ran to the pair of them, then over her shoulder, "Blinkin, get some hot stew and tea! Nod, a hot bath, and for Merlin's sake bring some blankets!" the two house elves that had been behind her quickly _popped_ to do her bidding. Draco allowed her to lead them to the nearest sitting room and with a wave of her wand had a fire crackling merrily as though it had been doing so for hours.

Where his father had collapsed into the chair nearest the fire, Draco remained standing. "I'm going to go change," he informed the room. As he turned to go, his father's cold, chapped hand grabbed his wrist.

"Just get it done already, Draco. Then we can be back in the Dark Lord's… good graces... then everything will be _good_ for us again…"

Draco clenched his jaw, balled his fists, and slowly turned his head to look at him. Lucius dropped the wrist like he had been burned but still tried to hold the fire in Draco's eyes- but failed quickly and looked down at his own hands.

"You have no idea what is going on, do you?" asked Draco, so coldly that the blaze in the fireplace seemed to have suddenly lost its warming effect. "This whole thing is so much bigger than the name "Malfoy" getting back into good graces- no one else will see it that way anyway, Father."

"But-" his father began, looking as hopeful as a child that the floating goldfish in the bowl might just start swimming again, "When everything is back to normal again-"

"THERE IS NO 'NORMAL!' NOT LIKE IT USED TO BE, AT LEAST! THAT LIFE WILL NEVER BE AGAIN!" Draco had moved right in front of the chair his father sat in, one hand on each of the arms. He took a deep breath and leaned down to eye level, impassioned silver meeting defeated grey, and when he spoke it was just above a whisper, "It will only be darker than ever before or Dumbledore will save the day and we'll be out. We've shown our true colours- you saw to that."

He saw a flash of anger go over his father's face, then fear. "You doubt your Master? His power to-"

"-kill mercilessly?" Draco cut him off and pushed away from the chair. Looking down at his father's emaciated form he said, "No, I don't doubt that or his power. I respect him in the fact that he can kill me just as easily as blink- probably with less effort. I will not cross him. He's given me the assignment and I will do it- fearfully- but it will get done."

"Malfoy's don't-"

"-show fear. Yes, Father, I know." He glanced at the clock above the mantel and sighed, it was half-past two in the morning. "I'm going to clean up, then I'm going out for a while. Don't wait up."

Half an hour later and about ninety miles away, Draco stealthily made his way through vast fields. His sensitive ears could hear the chickens long before he could see their coop. The lopsided building he was searching for finally loomed over a small hill. He got as close to the magical barriers as he could and sat down in the snow. He lifted his furry snout and gave a long mournful howl and before he finished he heard a distant window open. He looked to the house and could catch the slight flashes of long ginger hair blowing in the moonlight. After a minute he caught the scent and smiled a wolfish grin as the head quickly disappeared from the window.


	12. Chapter 12: Christmas Eve

Chapter 12: Christmas Eve (Ginny)

Thank you to **Jamiegirl123**, , **lyricalbale**, and **Calliope Muse** for adding my story to your Favorites! And thank you to **Ezriella**, **.girl**, **flowerypetal**, **roni2010**, **written it the stars**, **89** and **DogDemon17** for adding my story to your Story Alerts! Without you, my readers, writing is moot. I love you all !

Grinning, Ginny pulled her head back into her room and crawled across her bed to her nightstand where she grabbed her wand. She transformed her pajamas into warm clothes and quickly ran a brush through her hair before stealthily making her way downstairs. She knew every creaky step and floorboard and dodged them like a pro. When she reached the mudroom, she snatched her patched and faded black cloak off the hook and as quietly as she could, snuck out the back door. She sprinted across the garden, through the gate and magical barrier and straight into Draco's (now human) arms.

"Hello," she whispered into his grey cloaked chest.

"Hello," she felt, more than heard, him rumble overhead. "Come with me?"

She allowed him to lead her to the top of the small hill he had climbed earlier and watched as he cleared a sizable patch of snow away and transformed a rock into a wireless and a small bare bush into a thick blanket that he spread across the dry, grassy patch. He preformed the same spell his mother used on the gardens at home, but only for their small area as the wireless began emitting Christmas carols quietly in the background. They laid down next to each other to stare up at the stars; she laying back with her hands folded on her stomach and he with his arms behind his head.

"I had a feeling you wouldn't be able to stay away from me for the whole duration of break," Ginny whispered half joking, half smugly. When it appeared he didn't react, she turned her head to look at the side of his still face. Her smile faltered as she turned onto her side and propped her head in her hand to better see him. "That bad?" she asked.

She thought he didn't want to talk about it after a few minutes had passed and he still hadn't said anything. She started to lay back down when she heard him speak.

"I had to go see _him_," he said slowly. "I had to see him to save _my father_ from Azkaban and you know what he said to me?" he turned finally to look at her.

Ginny kept a blank stare, knowing that he wasn't looking for pity, just a listening ear.

Draco continued, "He told me to 'just get it done'. Can you believe that? Like I'm not doing everything I can to accomplish this horrific task just to keep him and my mother safe. It made me realize, though, I pity him. He tried so hard to be on top, no matter what it took, and it all backfired. Yet he still thinks we can be back where we were," he slowly shook his head and looked back to the stars, "It's a mad world, Ginny," he said, falling silent again.

Unable to hold back any longer, Ginny wrapped her arms around him and lay her head on his chest, her voice came out hard for the fear and anger she felt erupting inside of her. "You could have been killed," she leaned up and kissed him.

"Are you worried for me?" he asked, pleased by her reaction. No one but his mother (and father at some point, he supposed) had ever concerned themselves over him that he knew of.

Ginny glared at him and playfully smacked him round his head, "Of course I am! I care for you, you idiot! Don't you know that?"  
"I guess, I'm just- humbled by you," he said gently pulling her back down onto his chest and tucking her head below his chin. "And... I care for you, too."

A moment passed and neither moved or said anything. Finally, Ginny leaned back up to look him in the eye before moving in slowly to kiss him. Then pulling barely a breath away she whispered, "You are so brave… for a Slytherin!" before pecking him on the lips again and jumping up and away, laughing.

They chased and ran in the snow, throwing enchanted snowballs that found their target no matter where they hid until the sky started to lighten. Draco happened to have tackled Ginny to the snow-covered ground when they heard a window open over the sound of their laughter. Ginny sat up quickly when she heard her mother yell out said window:

"What in the name of Merlin are you doing!"

But not until her father popped her head out of another window a second later and yelled, "Ginny, who is that?!" did Draco stand quickly and help Ginny up.


	13. Chapter 13: Christmas

*Thank you to **ellipsis. countdown **for adding my story to your Favorites! And thank you to **werewolf. pack. girl ** and **marylin. open89** for adding my story to your Story Alerts! Without you, my readers, writing is moot. I love you all! *this pack of Thank Yous didn't show up properly in Chapter 12, so here it is again, sorry your names went all wonky.

Thank you to **GleekLaughingXDPuckleberry** for adding my story to your Story Alerts and Favorite Stories, for adding me to your Favorite Author and Author Alert lists, and Thank You for all your reviews! They made me giddy . Thank you **Samglass13** for adding my story to your Story Alerts and Favorite Stories! Thank you **alecksanduhrah** for adding my story to your Favorite Stories list! Having my second child about one-and-a-half months ago has delayed my writing. Thank you for your patience, My Readers Whom I Love!

Chapter 13: Christmas (Draco)

Draco and Ginny heard the footfalls of many thundering down the several flights of stairs when they entered the kitchen half a minute later. Ron came hurtling down the steps, talking before he had even reached the kitchen.

"Ginny, where were you? I went to hold your nose and you weren't in your bed-," he stopped short when he saw who else was standing in the room. "Malfoy! Oh, Happy Christmas!" he ended exasperated. "What are _you_ doing _here_?"

Despite their foundling truce, Ron still would not call Draco by his first name. "I've got my pride," he'd told Luna- who had told Harry, who had told Hermione, who had told Ginny. "Well, at least they're not hexing each other anymore!" said Ginny, accepting the small victory gracefully.

Draco merely raised an eyebrow at Ron and looked pointedly at Ginny in answer. Ron snorted and rolled his eyes, "Oh please!"

"It's not all about you, Ron," said George, as he and Fred passed him and into the kitchen already dressed. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were hot on their heels.

They stood shoulder to shoulder with their arms crossed in front of Draco and Ginny.

As Mrs. Weasley began to rant, Draco watched Mr. Weasley, barley registering what the short witch was yelling about.

"…sneaking out of the house at all hours and on _Christmas_ morning, no less!"

By now, all the other occupants of the house had made their way downstairs and into the kitchen to see what was going on and, upon seeing Draco, a mixture of looks appeared on each of their faces; ranging from confused to suspicious to resentful.

"…and out of the magical barrier? _What_ on _Earth_ were you thinking?"

At this point, Mr. Weasley put his hands on his hips and cleared his throat- which went completely unheeded by Mrs. Weasley.

"…didn't think _The Talk_ was entirely necessary until you were out of school seeing as they have that Chastity Charm all over, but here…? If you're going to go sneaking off we'll have to talk about the birds and the bees…"

"MUM!" Ginny yelled, refusing to look at Draco who had the good grace to look straight ahead and not at her mortified, red face.

Mr. Weasley cleared his throat loudly and stepped forward, stopping Mrs. Weasley's ranting- he had never interrupted one of her scoldings before.

"What I want to know," he said quietly watching Draco flinch as though he expected Mr. Weasley to start yelling, too, "is why a_ Malfoy_ would allow himself to be caught in a_ Weasley's_ presence and, yes," he drew himself up to his full and considerable height, "with _my_ daughter."

Draco swallowed but as he had in Dumbledore's office on the first night back at Hogwarts, he held the eyes of the adult in front of him and lifted his chin a little.

"Mr. Weasley, sir," he added for good measure, "I am not my father and from this side of the past summer, I am unfathomably relieved and grateful for that fact," explained Draco, surprising himself at how easy it was to be open with these people his father found so appalling.

"Alright. That was a good answer," replied Mr. Weasley, "although I am now curious as to why the sudden change of attitude about your father, but we can talk about that later, just the two of us. Now, _why_ were you with _Ginny_?"

"We're _together_, sir."

There were a few sputters of shock from the others that Mr. Weasley ignored, "I see," he said slowly, "And how long has this been going on?"

But it was Mrs. Weasley who answered, "Since the end of October."

Draco glanced at Ginny quickly, clearly asking, without words, _how does she know?_ Ginny looked back with a small shrug as though saying, _I told her, of course, why wouldn't I?_ They stared at each other, communicating silently. A small smile slowly spread across Draco's face. _Brave girl. She's not ashamed._

Draco looked back at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley; they seemed to be having their own silent conversation. Mr. Weasley looked put-out and Mrs. Weasley shook her head a fraction defensively. He tilted his head and pursed his lips, "Later," was all he said.

A cheery smile erupted on Mrs. Weasley's face as she clapped her hands together once, "Well, then let's get Christmas started, shall we! Draco I take it you are staying for breakfast?"

Her smile became fixed as her eyes widened and Draco read it as, _or else._ "Yes, thank you," he answered.

There was a lot of movement in the small space as some of them split up. Harry and Ron went upstairs to get dressed; Fleur went further into the kitchen with Mrs. Weasley to make breakfast. "Come help us, Ginny, since you're already dressed," she said pointedly.

Ginny looked first at Draco, then around the room. Draco's gaze followed hers; Mr. Weasley, Bill, Fred, George, and Remus hadn't moved a hair, and they were all looking at him.

"Go on, Ginny," said Mr. Weasley.

"Yeah," said Fred, "we just want to talk to him."

"It's not like we'll bite," said George, glancing at Remus, who gave him a wry look.

"Boys that's enough," said Mr. Weasley. "Now I appreciate this, all of you, but I said it would just be the two of us," he said gesturing to Draco and himself as he looked at the others standing around.

"Actually, if it's alright with you, I don't mind if they stay. I'm trying to make amends so I don't get thrown to the _wolves_," he glanced at Ginny, who tried not to smile at his pun. "It's fine, Ginny."

She nodded and went to help with breakfast, whispering to Fred and George on her way, "Play nice."

Mr. Weasley led everyone into the living room and they all sat down. "So, what's your story?" he asked. Draco spent the next half hour sharing everything except his task for the Dark Lord; it was top secret, after all. Eventually, Harry and Ron came down and stood in the doorway.

"And I'm taking classes to become an Auror," Draco finished.

"Why, when you can just live off of your family's money?" asked George.

"Because I can't be certain that my father won't disown me after all of _this_," he said. Everyone understood "this" to mean his new allegiance, and Ginny. "I have to have a way to support myself, don't I?"

Mr. Weasley nodded, thoughtful.

"Breakfast is ready!" called Mrs. Weasley from the kitchen.

"Let's go," said Mr. Weasley, putting his hand on Draco's shoulder as they stood. As Draco passed Remus and Bill they nodded to him. Fred and George reached out and patted his back.

"Welcome to Dumbledore's Army," they said.

That afternoon at lunch, the new Prime Minister, Rufus Scrimgeour, showed up with Percy. Draco sat in the tense room next to Ginny, who explained in a whisper that the family were on the outs with Percy. Scrimgeour asked Harry to show him around the garden. After they left out the back door, everyone at the table facing Percy was glaring at him and those who had their backs to him were ignoring him. If he was surprised to see Draco, he didn't let on. Mrs. Weasley was the only one who talked to him. However, Draco noticed that Percy didn't look at her as he stood stiffly by the door, clearly hoping that Scrimgeour would hurry up.

"Why don't I just fix you a plate, Percy? You must be hungry," said Mrs. Weasley.

Her back was to the room as he turned to decline her offer. Suddenly, a glob of mashed parsnips flew across the table and smacked him in the face, knocking his glasses askew. "Ah!" he cried as he whipped around and stormed out of the door.

Mrs. Weasley whipped around, "What? What happened? Percy?" she fretted as she followed him out the back door. Percy had already met up with Scrimgeour (who also looked put-out) at the end of the path that lead to the porch where they Apparated immediately without so much as a glance behind them.

After lunch, Draco said he had to go back home. "I'm sure my paren- well, my _mother_ is probably worried about me, anyway. Thank you for everything, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley," he nodded at each of them in turn. "And Happy Christmas, everyone. Walk with me to the barrier?" he asked Ginny.

She glanced at Mr. Weasley, who nodded, then beamed. "Just be back in five minutes or I'll send out a search party," he said with a little sadness behind his smile.

Draco and Ginny put their cloaks on in the mudroom, and then stepped outside into the bright sunshine and chilly air.

"So, everyone seems to have accepted you into the folds," said Ginny, smiling.

"That they have," replied Draco, draping his arm across her shoulders and starting down the path. "Sorry I got you into trouble. Did your mum continue to lecture you in the kitchen?"

"It's okay. No, she didn't. She actually apologized for not talking to Dad about it- us, yet," answered Ginny.

"Why did you tell her and not him?" asked Draco, "your dad seems much more easy-going than your mum, no offense."

Ginny smiled, "To answer both of your questions; I have a more open relationship with my mum, but I'll always be 'Daddy's little girl'," she said, rolling her eyes, but Draco could see it was with affection.

"It's good that you are so close to your parents," he said, looking ahead but seeing things Ginny couldn't.

"I know," said Ginny quietly.

They had reached the end of the path, right before the barrier. Draco turned and looked down at Ginny.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked.

"Anything," Ginny replied unflinchingly.

"What did Ron mean when he said that he had gone into your room to hold your nose?"

Ginny burst into laughter. "Oh that! Ever since we were little, before anyone else would wake up on Christmas morning, he'd sneak into my room and hold my nose until I woke up, then he'd whisper 'Father Christmas was here! Father Christmas was here!' and we'd race down the stairs which would, inevitably, wake everyone else up." She got quiet, then said thoughtfully, "He was always the one I was closest to because we were the closest in age. Fred and George had each other and Percy, well, you saw what he was like- he's always been a bit stiff. Not one to roll around on the floor with a sister who's five years younger than he." She looked at Draco, "I think that's why Ron took it so personally when we started spending time together, and when he found out we were _together_-together, well, _you_ know…" she trailed off.

"It's so strange hearing how it is with a big family; my childhood seems so empty in comparison, not having anyone to really share it with. I mean I'd been friends with Crabbe and Goyle since we were young, but we didn't spend every day together like you would with a sibling," Draco got quiet again.

They both turned when they heard the back door open. It was Ron. "Come on Gin, I want to open presents!" Although he had delivered the message (the one between the lines of _it's time for Malfoy to go now_) he stayed in the doorway.

Draco half smiled at him, then turned to Ginny. "I need to be off, anyway."

"I'll owl your present to you, unless," Ginny paused hopefully, "unless you think you could come back again during break?"

Draco pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead.

"I'd better not risk it," he answered, then added quickly at the disappointed look on Ginny's face, "Don't worry, break will be over soon enough and term will start. Then we'll be back at Hogwarts… where we can't be seen together… where we have to pretend we _don't_ care deeply about each other's safety and…" he sighed, "This sucks."

Ginny laughed. "Tell me about it."

Ron cleared his throat loudly.

"Be safe, Draco."

"You, too. Happy Christmas, Ginny."

"Happy Christmas, Draco."


	14. Chapter 14: New Year

**A/N: Dear, dear Readers, again I must apologize for my long absence! I have been working on, and have now _completed_(!) a novelette called It's Happening- found on Amazon. com ! (dated October, 2012)

But now I am back- I could not stand to be away any longer! : )

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Chapter 14 New Year (Ginny)

Ginny could feel the smooth feathers beneath her hands and the cool air as it rushed by, taking her breath away and making her eyes water. It was like flying on a broom except she could feel the silent flap of wings on either side of her. She looked down and realized she was on an eagle owl and just as quickly, accepted it as truth. She could see nothing below but inky darkness but high above her she could see countless stars; it was a beautiful night.

The owl began descending and Ginny held on tightly. As they neared the earth, she could see that there was snow covering the countryside they were sailing over. In the distance, a lopsided structure came into view that she recognized as the Burrow.

The owl glided soundlessly, circling until her window came into view. It landed somewhat awkwardly on the narrow sill. Sharp talons gripped the wood and wings beat sporadically to keep its perch as it tapped the glass with its beak.

_Tap, tap, tap._

Ginny could see herself lying in bed, her candle burned down to a stub. She had fallen asleep reading her Transfiguration book.

_Tap, tap, tap_!

She could see herself stirring.

_Tap, Tap, tap_!

Ginny woke groggily from a deep sleep.

_What an odd dream_, she thought yawing.

_Tap, Tap, Tap_!

"Oh!" she exclaimed jumping out of bed to stare at her window, heart pounding.

She felt her eyes widen— there was the owl from her dream! Goose bumps erupted all over as this sank in, but as the owl started to loose purchase she stealthily made her way over and threw open the window.

The owl struggled to pull itself forward and stand properly on the ledge. It shook its feathers and straightened up to its full height as if to regain its dignity before holding out its leg where a small scroll tied to a package was secured. She untied it and then tentatively held out a hand. The owl cocked its head and blinked at her. After a few seconds it dipped its head and nibbled her finger gently before it turned and took flight back out of her window.

Smiling, she slipped the window closed and then turned to the gift in her hand and sat back down on her bed, wrapping herself in the still-warm blankets and quilt. Draco should have gotten his gift by now, too. She had sent it off with Jasper late Christmas night after getting help with one of the spells from Fred.

She had come up with a photo of Draco and her hugging at the end of the footpath from earlier that day. It turned out Fleur had snuck a picture of them saying goodbye from the window in the stairway and then given it to her as a gift.

When Ginny saw it she beamed at Fleur, for once truly grateful that she was there.

"I know just what I want to do with it!" she said excitedly, grabbing her soon-to-be sister-in-law in a quick hug. "Thank you, Fleur!"

She had taken it upstairs and applied the same spell many Hogwarts students had used last year to hide Harry's graveyard account in the Quibbler from Professor Umbridge and the Indestructible Charm Draco had used on Jasper's ribbon. Now, unless she or Draco looked at it, it appeared to be a family photo of Draco and his parents and no matter how hard she tried to deface it, it came up unscathed.

After Christmas dinner, everyone had retired to the living room to drink hot chocolate and listen to more Celestina Warbeck crooning out Christmas carols on the old wireless. Ginny approached Fred as he sat with his feet up on the coffee table in front of the fireplace.

"Fred?" she began, then before he could reply, "I need you to show me how to put the Shield Charm on this photo like you did for the hats, gloves, and cloaks for the shop- the ones the ministry ordered."

Fred looked down at the photo. His eyebrows drew together, then he looked back up at Ginny, eyebrows now raised.

"Clever, little sister," he gave her a small, knowing nod. "You must get that from George and me," he said with a wink before proceeding to show her the complicated spell work and wand movements.

Ginny grinned again thinking about it. Looking down at the gift and scroll in her hand she decided on opening the gift first. It was simply wrapped in brown paper and twine; rather unassuming. Inside was a little white box. She lifted the lid and saw a blue velvet box that clearly contained some kind of jewelry.

"Oh, Draco!" she whispered.

Removing the blue box from the white she grasped the lid and lifted it. Inside was a beautiful solid gold snake armband with inlaid rubies for eyes. She lifted her sleeve and slipped it on, up past her elbow. It wrapped around her upper arm twice, and she noticed it felt warm, despite having flown by owl over nintey miles in the middle of winter.

Speechless she turned to open the scroll.

_G,_

_I miss you so much. I hope the rest of your Christmas was memorable. This is a gift of protection. It's indestructible, of course, and I put a Shield Charm on it so please, please don't take it off. You can wear it under your school uniform- always, even at night. _  
_I wish I could be there with you. Happy New Year, Love._  
_~D_

Ginny laughed and touched the nose of the snake, its ruby eyes winked in the still-burning candle stub. _Great minds think alike!_ she thought as she snuffed the flame before snuggling down into her bed again and drifting off to sleep.

The day went by in peace. It was hard to believe that a war was brewing out there all across the country.

Before dinner, Mrs. Weasley had Ginny, Ron, and Harry out clearing the path after a midday snow storm had blown in a few inches. Fred and George sat drinking hot chocolates and watching them work. Harry and Ron kept stopping to put their heads together. Ginny, sensing a game afoot, prepared herself by discretely making a snowball after dumping each shovel-load so that she had a small pile at the ready.

Suddenly, she heard protested yells and a yelp of pain as both Harry and Ron had rounded on Fred and George with a snowball attack, which had caused George to spill his hot chocolate in his lap.

Ginny ran to her stockpile and ducked behind a trash bin. She could hear Ron yelling something to George about payback for making him cut his finger when he and Harry had been peeling the parsnips for Christmas dinner and how did George like it, but Ginny had no idea what he was on about so she joined in the fun by whacking Ron in the back of the head and getting Harry on the shoulder.

They spun around and took aim. Ginny screamed and ducked as two snowballs collided with the bin. Fred and George whipped out their wands and before Ginny could retaliate, Harry and Ron were bombarded with snowballs and ran around in circles with their arms raised over their heads before crashing into each other and falling over laughing.

As they fell over, the bewitched snowballs flew over them and went straight for Ginny.

"Oh watch out, Ginny!" the twins yelled, but the balls only got within a few inches of her before they flew back at them where they received them full in the face.

"Fred! George!" Ginny yelled, struggling not to laugh with Harry and Ron, who had fallen back over in hysterics as Fred wiped his eyes clean while George had to spit snow out of his mouth.

"Are you okay?" she asked when she reached them, a smile still threatening to take over her face.

"How did you do that?!" exclaimed Fred and George at the same time.

Ginny chuckled. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I don't mean to laugh, but it was rather funny!" she said failing to stifle her laughter.

"Yes, I'm sure it was great," said Fred, a little perturbed as slush dripped from his hair and onto his nose, "but how did you manage that? Do you have your wand on you?" he asked.

"No!" said Ginny with a look of confused surprise, and then dawning came across her face. "It must be this," she said, unzipping her jacket, pulling out her arm, and then pushing up her sleeve to show them Draco's gift. It sparkled and winked even in the twilight. "I just got it this morning from Draco. It has a Shield Charm on it," her eyes met Fred's and she smirked as his eyebrows rose. "I forgot I had it on."

Harry and Ron had made their way over to hear Ginny's explanation and view Draco's gift to her.

Harry sighed, "I hate to admit it, Ron, but Malfoy has some good ideas."

"Yes, it's good to know she'll be protected from snowballs," Ron scoffed sarcastically, but he looked impressed. "Did it have to be a snake, though?"

Jasper arrived the day before they had to go back to school. Mrs. Weasley was the only one to see them off as everyone else had left to go to work, and it was a tear-filled goodbye, at least on Mrs. Weasley's part.

Ginny was the last to leave. Giving her mother a hug, she said, "Thanks, Mum for understanding and welcoming Draco like you did. That really meant a lot to me—and him. And I don't want you to worry about me; I'll be okay- see?" she said, showing her what had become a talisman of Draco's feelings for her. "He's a good bloke to watch out for me like that, even if I can take care of myself."

Mrs. Weasley hiccuped,"I can see that." She gave her a watery laugh, and held up her hand to show the simple gold wedding band on her finger. "Your father put a protective charm on this for me in case I was ever caught without my wand. I did the same to your father's. Take care of each other, dear."

With one more hug and Jasper snuggled deep in her bag, Ginny stepped into the fire.

When Ginny stepped into Professor McGonagall's office seconds later, she saw that Harry and Ron had waited for her before they headed up to Gryffindor Tower. Hermione met them at the portrait of the fat lady, who had told them to stop shouting even though they were speaking in a perfectly respectable volume in Ginny's opinion, and gave them the password of the new term. The other three went off into a corner to talk while Ginny went to deposit her things on her bed and let Jasper out of her bag. As she climbed the stairs to her dorm, she glanced out the narrow windows. The sun was already sinking over the much snowier Hogwarts grounds. After she shut the door and set her bag on her bed, Jasper immediately climbed out and jumped into the deep window by her bed to sniff his food and water dishes; the elves had already filled them.

As he ate and drank then curled up on her pillow for a nap, she took off her jacket and changed her t-shirt, and brushed out her hair before deciding to take a walk around the castle in hopes of bumping into Draco.

The corridors were deserted and dark- as the sun had set completely ages ago. She was shivering slightly because she had forgotten her jacket on her bed and just when she had decided that she would just go to bed and wait to see Draco the next day, she turned the corner into the charms corridor and spotted a familiar white blonde head coming her way. Her heart leaped even though Crabbe was with him. They had to have just arrived as they were both still wearing their traveling cloaks.

Without looking at them, she passed them as though to continue on to Gryffindor Tower. She heard Draco murmur something and Crabbe's slow, dull laugh follow. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Draco smirk before winking at her. He nudged Crabbe before she turned back around, then she heard him say, "Nothing we'll get expelled for, though."

Crabbe was quick to obey and by the time Ginny had turned fully around with wand raised at her attacker, Crabbe had sent a Stunner straight at her. But like the snowballs, it came within inches of her before bouncing back and straight into Crabbe's shocked face. He dropped his wand and fell over with a _thud_.

"Nice defensive tactic," said Draco as he stepped over Crabbe to get to Ginny's side. He touched the arm band before pulling her to him. "I knew he'd use that one, it's his favorite, and I didn't know how else to get rid of him, even if just for a few minutes. I missed you for the rest of break," he said, his voice rumbling in his chest where she laid her head. "It was lonely with Mother off taking care of my father—nursing him back to health with the house elves in their chamber."

"Is he going to be alright?" asked Ginny not moving from the warmth of his arms.

"As well as can be expected, I suppose," he shrugged. "I hope he realizes the positions he has put my mother and I in. I hope he plays his cards right so that, I don't know, however this all plays out—we won't be sent to Azkaban or put to death on You-Know-Who's orders or—_Ginny_?"

Ginny had started to shake. The surge of adrenaline from the attack, even if it had been a strategic one, had worn off and the words Draco spoke chilled her heart.

"Love, you're like ice! Here," he rubbed her back before taking off his cloak and wrapping it around her shoulders. "Better?"

She could smell him on it and gripped it tighter around her, feeling his warmth seep all the way into her bones.

"Yes, I just don't like to think of you being in Azkaban, and I especially hate it when you have to be anywhere near _him_."

He wrapped an arm around her again before gently lifting her face with a finger under her chin. Slowly their lips touched—tenderly exploring as though for the first time.

Still clinging to Draco's cloak around her shoulders, Ginny rested her fisted hands on his chest. She didn't know how long they clung to one another, hours maybe, and only drew apart again when they heard a stirring coming from Crabbe's horizontal form.

Draco pulled the hood of his cloak over Ginny's head and hid her in the shadows in a deep doorway. She nodded when he put his finger to his lips before making his way back to Crabbe.

"Ha! I can't believe you let a Blood Traitor get the best of you!" she heard Draco sneer. She peeked out to see him bending down to offer a hand to the dazed Crabbe, who mumbled something she couldn't hear before accepting Draco's help.

"Oh she's long gone now. She ran away as you fell and by the time I got my wand out to revive you she was gone," replied Draco.

As they started looking for Crabbe's dropped wand, Ginny pulled her head back and silently scooted into the corner.

She could hear a small scrape of wood on stone before their footsteps started getting closer.

"You won't tell anyone, will you?" asked Crabbe in his deep dull voice.

"Of course I won't," said Draco, Ginny could hear the smile in his voice, "but it'll cost you."

She heard Crabbe sigh as they passed.

Ginny waited a few minutes before creeping out of her hiding spot and making her way back to Gryffindor Tower. She threw Draco's cloak over her arm to hide the Malfoy crest from anyone who might still be up in the common room and crept up to bed. When she was sure that all of her dorm mates were asleep, she inhaled Draco's scent once more before folding the cloak and hiding it at the bottom of her trunk, then she changed into her pajamas. She assumed Jasper had gone off to hunt and turned her pillow over to the fur-free side.

Settled in under the covers, Ginny drifted off to sleep with a smile tugging at her lips.


	15. Chapter 15: Time Continues

Dearest readers, thank you for bearing with me! For your grace and mercy and as an apology, this is my longest chapter yet!

First, the Thanks: Thank you **roni2010** and **Queen of Night** for your very encouraging Reviews!

Thank you **blakekeane** and **mxcalibur** for making me one of your Favorite Authors!

Thank you **ao ajisa** and **teachmetodance** for adding my story to your Favorite Stories list and adding it to your Story Alert list, as well as **vale-cro**, **Winglexmalfoy**, **Professor McGonagal**, and **Queen of Night**- Thank you all again so much!

Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter, Golpalott's Third Law is stated as is in HBP, p.374 by Hermione, some conversations from HBP have been altered slightly, but go along the same lines- you might recognize some of them!

And now, on with it!

Chapter 15 Time Continues (Draco)

The new term started the next morning with a surprise for the sixth years, well, at least it was for the others. Apparition Lessons were to start for those who were seventeen years, or would turn seventeen on or before the 31st of August next. It would cost him 12 Galleons to keep up his facade of ignorance (technically for the Dark Lord). Draco sighed. The cost wasn't the thing, 12 Galleons would be no skin off his nose, it just rubbed him the wrong way to pretend to be less than what he was; it just wasn't _Malfoy_.

_This is just part of being a spy_, he told himself, although it didn't really make him feel any better. _And a bit of a punishment for taking the Dark Mark, I suppose._

After a breakfast of porridge and toast, he headed to DADA, his first class of the new term. Slughorn called for silence as the class finished shuffling in.

"Who can tell me the principle behind Golpalott's Third Law?" he asked. "Ah, yes! Miss Granger, of course!" he smiled genially at her.

"Golpalott's Third Law states that the antidote for a blended poison will be equal to more than the sum of the antidotes for each of the separate components," Hermione said easily and was awarded ten house points.

Draco saw Harry and Ron look at each other confusedly and chuckled before standing with the rest of the class to file past Slughorn's desk to take a phial of poison. Back at his table, he pulled on his dragon hide gloves before unstopping his poison and pouring the sickly-orange coloured contents into his cauldron. He lit the fire underneath and waited for it to reach the proper temperature. While waiting he looked around and saw Ron mimicking every move Harry made, both looking rather anxious, before Harry turned to his copy of Advanced Potion Making for help. Hermione was preparing several phials for each ingredient for the next step. The class was silent, intent upon their task.

Finally, his poison, which he had identified as a Babbling Beverage, was emitting its purple fumes. Draco got to work using wordless magic to separate each ingredient and its counterpart. By the time Slughorn called out, "Times…Up!" he had decanted forty-nine ingredients, but had accidentally spilled one down the front of his robes (that looked horribly like cat-sick) when the smell of bad eggs Ron's cauldron had been emitting for the past half-hour had made the Hufflepuff next to him wretch so loudly that it had startled Draco, among others, as he had transferred it from cauldron to phial.

Frustrated with the state of his attire, that he had wasted precious minutes trying to mop himself up, and that doing so had prevented him from completing the task, Draco packed his bag roughly, ready to leave. When Slughorn's laugh boomed across the class, Draco looked up annoyed. His ire grew when realization dawned that the little rock Slughorn was holding up to show the class was a bezoar, and wasn't Harry so clever?

Draco glanced on either side of Harry and saw the angry looks on Ron's and Hermione's faces which, he realized a moment later, matched his own.

_He's not even grasped the concept!_ He thought indignantly, scoffing.

The sound caught Hermione's attention and they glared at each other across the room. He saw her glance down at his messy robes, and while everyone's eyes were either on Harry and Slughorn or packing up their equipment, she flicked her wand at him before gathering her bag and storming out as the bell rang. He looked down at his now spotless robes and smirked. Shaking his head, he left for his next class.

February arrived cold, dreary, and wet. A near constant fall of chilly rain made the lawns slippery with mud. For that matter, the first Apparition Lesson was to take place in the Great Hall instead of the grounds and on a Saturday morning so that regular lessons would not be missed.

Draco, followed by Crabbe and Goyle saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione enter the Hall in front of them. He was annoyed with his old cronies as they had been hounding him all morning about his task for the Dark Lord. Under the cover of the ministry wizard, who had introduced himself as Wilkie Twycross, rambled on about what to expect from the Apparition Lessons, Draco quietly argued with them until,

"Malfoy, be quiet and pay attention!" barked Professor McGonagall.

As everyone turned to look at him, he could feel his face heating up. He looked furiously at Crabbe before stepping away from him and inadvertently closer to Harry. Twycross continued his lecture on Apparition, explaining how Dumbledore had lifted the enchantment that prevented Apparating and Disapparating only in the Great Hall and only for the hour of the lesson. When told to grab a hoop and place themselves so that they each had a clear space of five feet between each other and their hoop, Draco continued the heated discussion with Crabbe.

"I don't know how much longer, alright?" he shot at him. "It's taking longer than I expected."

Crabbe started to open his mouth to retort, but Draco knew what he was going to say and had reached his limit. "Look, it's not your hides on the line here, Crabbe, you and Goyle just do as you're told and keep a look out!"

Crabbe glared back at him before his eyes flicked over Draco's shoulder to give a gawker behind him a rude gesture. Draco turned to see Harry and quick on his feet said, "Do you mind, Potter? This is none of your business!" after pulling out his wand and pointing it between Harry's eyes (he was still a little resentful about the bezoar stunt).

Harry opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, the Heads of Houses yelled, "Quiet!" and silence fell again.

Twycross thanked them and continued the lesson for another boring ten minutes. When it was finally time to try Apparating, Draco put on a face of great concentration before one of disappointment that he had not done it. He surreptitiously watched the others, struggling to stifle his laughter. Harry had spun on the spot and nearly fallen over, Crabbe and Goyle had spun in opposite directions, crashed into each other, and had fallen over as well as Neville.

_No surprise there_, he thought smirking.

They tried again and again for the full hour and the only interesting thing to happen was when a Hufflepuff girl, who he overheard was called Susan Bones, had splinched herself- standing with only one leg inside her hoop while her other leg stood back at her starting point. She was reunited with her leg quickly, and Draco passed the rest of the hour missing Ginny.

February moved into March without a change in weather except that there was now wind to blow around the wet. Draco woke up one Friday morning to the grumblings of his housemates about a notice that had gone up stating that the Hogsmeade trip that was scheduled for the following day was cancelled. Draco was disappointed to say the least. He and Ginny, with Jasper's help, had worked out a code where what was said between them in public meant the exact opposite. They had planned to meet up in the Three Broomsticks and sit at adjacent tables where they could leisurely pass "insults" at each other. He sighed heavily as he got ready to head down to breakfast; no sense brooding over something you can't change.

There had been three more Apparition lessons and Draco had continued feigning frustration like the others, but felt it would be safe now to reveal that he could in fact Apparate- to just this once, show the school that he could do something before Hermione Granger.

Because the few people more who had managed to Splinch themselves felt it was at least _something_ of a step in the right direction and would, therefore, look around a tad haughtily at those concentrating so hard it looked like they were trying to lay quaffle-sized eggs but only managing to turn steadily from red to purple from the strain of it, Draco waited until they each had given him their 'superior' look before finally Disapparating on the spot and then Apparating perfectly into his hoop.

"HA!" he yelled in a triumphant voice that belied his previous experiences of doing the very same thing frequently, and all during the summer.

There were reluctant cheers and awed voices when the word spread that Draco Malfoy had done it.

"Wow!" said a Ravenclaw boy who's name escaped Draco, "_Malfoy_ Apparated before Granger!"

While everyone swiveled around to look at the witch in question, Draco grinned and winked at her red face.

The following morning was the next Quidditch match- Slytherin versus Gryffindor. At breakfast, Draco noticed quite a few heads together and a lot of concerned whispering. He sat down between Crabbe and Goyle but looked across the Hall to where Ginny sat beside Hermione and Neville, a small frown marring her features as she talked with Luna, who was at their table across from Ginny.

He had just tucked into his waffles when he felt Goyle lean closer to him and grunt, "Weasley was poisoned."

"_What?_" asked Draco, looking dubious. "How? By who?"

Pansy, who had been sitting across from him, looked at him suspiciously before asking, "Why are you concerned, Draco?"

"I'm not 'concerned', _Parkinson_," Draco sneered at her, "I want to congratulate the bloke who managed to get under Scar Head's nose and almost rid us of a Blood Traitor."

"Mmm…" Pansy leaned with her arms crossed, elbows on the table and smirked, "Who said it was a bloke?"

"You wouldn't dirty your own hands, don't try to fool me," Draco scoffed.

Pansy's smirk turned hard at being called out, before leaning back and saying airily, "I was merely-"

"-Trying to take credit for something you had, I'm going to go as far as to say '_absolutely,' _nothing to do with. So, who started the rumor?" he finished, asking Goyle, but it was Blaise who answered as he came to sit next to Pansy and put his arm around her. Pansy smirked across to Draco.

"That McLaggen git from Gryffindor," he replied in a bored voice before planting a chaste kiss on Pansy's temple. "He came down about ten minutes before you got here and was overheard- ("By everyone, the loud mouth," Pansy butted in scathingly) –that he was the new Keeper for Gryffindor because Weasley had been poisoned this morning while opening birthday presents or something."

"So was he poisoned then?" asked Crabbe in his slow, dull voice.

"Well, I would fathom to say _something_ happened," said Draco, glancing at Ginny again, this time catching her eye, "have you ever known Weasley to miss a meal?"

He could tell she had read his lips and answered with a glare at them as the small group had all turned to see the lack of Ron sitting with his mouth full of food. Draco sneered as the others turned back sniggering.

Draco had no sooner finished his breakfast when he saw Ginny's small group rise and head out of the Great Hall. Ginny glanced his way on her way out of the door.

He stood to leave and heard Pansy call after him, "Where are you going? The match starts in twenty minutes!"

"I think I have a bit of a stomach ache and need to see Madam Pomfrey," he grinned maliciously.

Zabini chuckled and told him to give Weasley a good kick. Draco smirked, "My sentiments exactly. Crabbe, Goyle, meet me in half an hour," he finished with a hard look at each of them.

Their shoulders drooped a little before they consented.

Five minutes later Draco was on the fourth floor when he was pulled into an empty classroom.

"Déjà vu," he said, leaning against a desk and grinning as Ginny turned around after locking the door. "What's going on, now?"

To his surprise, Ginny rolled her eyes and huffed. "McLaggen and his big mouth! Ron was opening his birthday presents this morning when he accidentally picked up a box of Chocolate Cauldrons from the floor- it turns out they were Harry's from a fourth-year girl with a crush and too much time on her hands- anyway, they were full of Love Potion- from before Christmas, no doubt! And Ron, being Ron, ate all of them and, well…" she trailed off as Draco was bent double from silent laughter.

"It's not funny!" she scolded before a smile broke across her face and she joined him in the laughter. "But that's only half of it! Harry rushed him to Professor Slughorn for an antidote, so he'd be in his right mind for the match today, and then after the fact they are laughing about it on their way to breakfast when Ron missed that trick step and over balanced himself and fell down the last of the steps and broke his shin!" she laughed a few minutes more with him before finishing her tale. "We just told Luna at breakfast and she wanted to go see him to make sure some 'snuffle-dingle', or 'sniff-aluff', or some silly named imaginary thing isn't bothering him," she chuckled, waving her hand vaguely.

When his laughter finally died down and he'd wiped the tears from his eyes, he took Ginny into his arms and hugged her tight.

Sighing happily he said, "You have no idea how long it's been since I've been able to laugh like that." He chuckled again. "Tell your prat of a brother to pay attention to what he stuffs into his mouth from now on!"

He could hear the smile in Ginny's voice when she answered, "Okay, I will," before reaching up to grasp his lapels and pull him down for a kiss. Draco hummed his delight, making Ginny smile. "It's been ages, Love!" she pouted.

"I know," Draco sighed, and then kissed her nose, making her smile again. He looked over at the clock above the door and moaned. "Duty calls, Pet." They broke apart and he let Ginny leave first because she needed to get to the Quidditch pitch to get changed for the match.

Thirty minutes exactly from when he had left Crabbe and Goyle in the Great Hall, Draco found himself at the head of the corridor that secretly housed the Room of Requirement with two rather glum-looking little first year girls. Just as they started down the corridor, Harry came running past, apparently late for the match.

"Where're you going?" Harry demanded of him.

"Why would I tell you when, again I have to say, 'what I do is none of your business,' Potter,"

One of the girls gave a reluctant giggle before blushing when Harry turned to look at her. A moment later, Harry huffed and went on his way.

"Come on, you two," Draco said over his shoulder, "we don't have but," he looked at his watch, "forty-three minutes to do this."

He had been working with getting a potted plant to come back completely unharmed since his visit to the Dark Lord just before Christmas. He managed to limit the damage to just the tips of the leaves before there was a knock on the door.

Draco looked at his watch again; fifteen minutes left- they needed to hurry. He covered the Vanishing Cabinet again and with a grim smile greeted his two companions waiting impatiently for him outside the door that was quickly becoming a blank stretch of wall again.

As they hurried down past the Entrance Hall to the dungeons, they heard a bit of commentary.

"Oh look! The Gryffindor Keeper's got hold of one of the Beater's bats," said a vague voice Draco was sure was Luna Lovegood. Suddenly a collective cry from the pitch sounded across the grounds. "Now Harry Potter has been hit by his Keeper and I think he's been knocked out…"

Draco couldn't help the snigger that escaped while it was quite strange to hear two little girls _guffawing_.

"Come on Crabbe, Goyle," Draco chuckled, "unless you want to be caught wearing dresses!"

Finally, the others were starting to catch up in the Apparition Lessons. Hermione had come second to Draco, no surprises there, and Harry right after her. From then on, a few people each lesson seemed to gain confidence and had managed to follow suit.

The thrill from finally having been able to _honestly_ surpass Hermione at something and that, despite the repulsion Draco felt right down in his soul about his task for the Dark Lord, he had been able to progress the plant, indeed the whole Vanishing Cabinet, as far as he had- had worn off.

And so it was not the first time, after yet another plant came back imperfect, that he threw open the door to the Room, startling Crabbe and Goyle disguised as two different first-year girls from the previous time, ran all the way to the boys' toilets, threw himself into a cubicle, and slammed the door and lock into place. Furiously, he cast Muffliato before sitting on the tank with one foot on either side of the seat and then cried out in fear and frustration.

It was also, then, not the first time that Myrtle came up between his feet to comfort him.

"This is a boy's bathroom, Myrtle," he said, his voice coming out hoarse and muffled from yelling and now having his face buried in his hands.

She smiled as their on-going joke. The first time, she had emerged and sat on the seat backwards with her feet still in the bowl, sitting quietly until Draco had finally lowered his hands to see a ghost girl with thick, white, round glasses staring at him mere inches away, he had screamed a curse and howled that this was a boy's bathroom. It didn't take long though for Draco to open up to her- he needed to purge himself of his worries. He felt guilty about not sharing with Ginny, but he didn't want her to think him weak, and he would never dream of confiding in any Slytherin.

"What am I going to do, Myrtle? I'm so-" he started, but suddenly the door opened and in walked two people. Myrtle smirked, said, "Leave them to me," and then sank back into toilet.

A few seconds later, Draco could hear two startled yelps.

"Oh," he heard Myrtle say, "It's you two."

"Who were you expecting?" asked one.

"Nobody," replied Myrtle, sounding moody. "You said you'd come back to see me and I haven't seen you for ages. I've learned not to expect much from _some_ boys."

"I thought you lived in that girls' bathroom?" asked the same one from before.

"I do but that doesn't mean I can't visit other places. Remember when I came to see you in the bath?" said Myrtle. Draco was able to stifle his laughter just long enough to hear the response, "Vividly," before he burst out laughing, knowing the spell he'd cast was strong and they wouldn't be able to hear him. By the time he was able to stop, the two boys had left.

A beautiful bright blue sky began appearing over the castle turrets, signaling the approach of summer and finally the make-up Hogsmeade trip, which also happened to be the very trip so many of Draco's seventeen year old classmates were looking forward to. They were going to take their Apparation tests.

Everyone going to the village lined up and waited to be scanned by Filch's Secrecy Sensor. He saw Ginny with a few of her friends from her year just in front of him and Harry, Ron, and Hermione up ahead of them. His attention was drawn away from the way the sun lit up Ginny's hair and the breeze made it appear as gentle flames when he heard slightly raised voices.

"I've been trying! He doesn't want to talk to me, Hermione! He can tell I've been trying to get him on his own again, and he's not going to let it happen!" said Harry crossly.

He could just hear a calm murmur come from Hermione before Harry turned to climb the marble stairs in a huff.

"Trouble in Paradise, Potter?" Draco sneered.

"Shut it, Malfoy," said Harry with only half a heart without turning around.

Draco chuckled when he turned around and saw Ginny glaring at him. "Keep your Ferret nose out of other people's business!" she said scathingly.

"Your mouth is about as unruly as Granger's hair," he said with a smirk. "Watch it."

"You don't scare me," she said, crossing her arms.

"All of you, shut up and keep moving!" yelled Filch.

Ginny stepped up and took her turn, then walked on with Ron and Hermione, Draco not far behind. She stayed with them to watch their Apparition Tests. Hermione passed, to no one's surprise, and Ron had a short-lived victory until the examiner noticed he'd left half an eyebrow behind. Draco was not worried in the slightest and had already passed and caught up a few feet behind their small group again a moment later thinking; _At least I'm legal now_, before they made their way into the Three Broomsticks.

He and Ginny, and occasionally Hermione and Ron, spent the afternoon throwing 'insults' at each other between sips of Butterbeer. Finally, Draco got up to use the loo before heading back to school. When he came out into the dimly lit corridor, Ginny was waiting for him. With a look behind her, she stood on her toes to give him a quick kiss. Draco, however, using his Seeker reflexes, caught her face in his hands and pulled her back in for a tender dance of lips. He gave one more deep pull before jerking back with a hiss.

"What's the matter?" whispered Ginny, looking behind her and pulling out her wand. She turned back around to see that Draco was not looking behind her, but clenching his left fist and with a look of horror on his hansom face.

"It's _him_!" he cried in a strangled whisper. "I have to go."

He grabbed Ginny roughly, giving her a fierce kiss before Apparating away.

Draco was shaking with panic. He had Apparated back at the very edge of the Hogwarts grounds and run blindly all the way to the boys' bathroom. He had only left Ginny standing in the Three Broomsticks thirteen minutes ago, but within those thirteen minutes, his life had become precariously close to being lost.

Within minutes of slamming the door shut, Myrtle shot out of the last toilet, bringing a massive wave of water splashing onto the floor, and flew over to him. Draco stood with his hands clutching either side of the sink, head down, shoulders shaking, with the door behind him.

"Don't… tell me what's wrong… I can help you…" Myrtle's voice crooned.

Draco took a deep, shuddering breath. "No one can help me," he said. "I can't do it… I can't… It won't work… and unless I do it soon… he says he'll kill me…" A tear escaped down his cheek when he thought of Ginny. _Ginny. Ginny!_ He _had_ to do it! He didn't want to die! Not now that he had Ginny! He could feel the anxiety overtake him; he looked up with a crazed look and saw flashing eyes behind him in the mirror. _It's him!_ Utter panic welled inside him- he was going to die! He turned, pulling out his wand in one swift move and uttered the first spell that came to mind- anything to save his self!

"Cruci-"

"SECTUMSEMPRA!" bellowed the voice.

Draco felt the skin on his face and chest tear apart as though he had been sliced open with a sword. He fell to the floor with a splash; his wand fell from his limp hand from the shock.

He heard splashing footsteps coming nearer, his heart pounded- spilling forth still more blood. But it was not Voldemort's face that loomed over him. Harry's face came into focus as he splashed down onto his knees. "No!" he gasped, "No- I didn't-"

Draco's hands fluttered over his chest wounds trying to stop the bleeding, but he couldn't stop shaking.

Myrtle gave a deafening scream: "MURDER! MURDER IN THE BATHROOM! MURDER!"

The door banged open and Draco was vaguely aware of the look of terror on Harry's face before he was shoved aside and Snape was there. Fury flashed across his face. Draco was breathing too fast, he felt dizzy and there were stars clouding his vision. He felt so tired. He closed his eyes and let his head drop. Somewhere far away, he could hear Snape performing a song-like incantation. He felt his face being wiped off, more song, and then his shirt was ripped open and the process was repeated. The song seemed to grow louder.

"You need the hospital wing," he heard Snape say. "There may be a certain amount of scarring, but if you take dittany immediately we might avoid even that… Come…" Strong arms helped him sit up before standing, and then they made their way slowly to the door before Snape paused. Draco felt him turn to address Harry, the fury evident in his voice, "And you, Potter… You wait here for me."

Draco heard Harry's shaky voice just before the door closed. "Oh, God, Ginny's gonna kill me."


	16. Chapter 16: Dreadful Success

**A/N: Sorry for the foreverness between chapters, my darling readers! Life had piled on several pesky responsibilities over the past several months and things have only just relented within the last few days to grant me a reprieve! Prayerfully, that'll mean I can write again! For those who may have read my One Shot, 'Loki's Chance', you'll be pleasantly surprised that I'm actually ahead of schedule and this chapter is ready at least four days sooner than I could have hoped! I have mapped out the rest of this story so we can finally have some closure (yay!) There are going to be 18 chapters total, so only 2 more after this one...and then I am thinking I'm going to continue this story line with Deathly Hallows... Any thoughts? Anyway, Thank you for your patience! Hopefully knowing the end is in sight will change any of your minds who have wanted to disown me T_T Some material from HBP chapters 24-25.**

**Thank you **zeppoJane**, and **wee kori L** for following my story!**

**Thank you **AlyCatt14 **for following my story and me!**

**Thank you **carolinac26** for following my story and making it and me one of your favorites! And thank you for your sweet review!**

**And last, but certainly not least, thank you** Mrs. MalfoyWhitlockOdair**for making my story one of your favorites!**

**Bless you all! Now for your reading pleasure:**

Chapter 15: Dreadful Success (Ginny)

Ginny sat waiting with Ron and Hermione for Harry to return. He had burst through the portrait hole over half an hour ago soaking wet and bloody, wheezing about needing Ron's copy of their potions book. His face burned and he wouldn't look at either her or Hermione when they asked what had happened- what was going on- he had just said he would explain when he got back and with a fleeting look of pained guilt at them, he barreled back out of the hole.

Ginny was vaguely aware that any Gryffindors coming through the portrait quickly moved around the common room to whisper from one group to another and would then glance towards the table that she, Ron and Hermione sat at. Ginny's eyes narrowed suspiciously as she switched her chin from hand to hand while Ron and Hermione bounced their speculations off of each other, apparently unaware of the goings on around them. They both decided that, with _Advanced Potion-Making_ being involved, that he had probably somehow been found out for using the Half-Blood Prince's copy. Ginny only half listened to them, not really sure what they were on about and gave another heavy sigh.

"But why was he all wet and bloody, then?" she asked, as finally the portrait opened and Harry was slowly clamoring back in.

"Finally!" sighed Hermione as Ron was heard to say, "It's about time, Mate."

But Ginny got right to the point, noticing that all eyes of the entirety of the common room were on Harry. "So what's going on?"

Harry sat down in a chair heavily with his eyes closed and head back for a full minute before he ran his hands through his hair and sat up, finally ready to speak.

When he had finished speaking, Ginny had to fight to contain herself; she had blanched when she realized that it was Draco's blood staining his clothes, but now she wanted so badly to slap him, but a reaction like that might look a little suspicious, so she took deep, calming breaths while the others jumped in with their opinions on the matter. Hermione jumped all over the book while Ron and Harry argued for it.

"Are you defending what you did to-" started Ginny, her eyes flying open.

"No!" answered Harry quickly, "I wish I hadn't done it- it was stupid of me to try a spell without knowing what it did, but I need that book to-"

"Keep your false reputation for Potions you don't deserve," cut in Hermione nastily.

"So all of this has to do with some Potions book-" started Ginny, but was cut off by Hermione's steam that had been building since their first class.

"Yes, Harry got a book that had belonged to someone who called his or _her_ self the Half-Blood Prince and he's been getting all the glory with doing none of the work all year!" she fumed.

"Okay," said Ginny, trying to allow for Hermione's feelings, "so where is this book now?"

"I hid it in the Room of Requirement on my way back to see Snape," explained Harry.

"And you intend to go back and get it? Even after what just happened?" growled Ginny.

"Yes!" said Harry shortly.

Ginny raised her eyebrows and leaned forward to speak so that the others had to lean in as well to hear. "There is no need for you to speak to me like that, Harry, and after what just happened- do you know what a difficult position this puts me in?" At Harry's blank look she continued in a low hiss, "I can't even visit him like a normal girlfriend because of the bigger picture we're fighting for here. I have to pretend to be indifferent while I'm dying inside."

Harry looked thoroughly abashed and mumbled, "Sorry, Ginny," to his shoes.

An idea came to her that raised her spirits and gentled her voice a little. "Well, the least you can do is lend me your cloak then," she said, and before he could say anything she continued, "I will not wait for Godric knows how long before I get a chance to pass him in a corridor to see if he's alright, Harry Potter. I will see him tonight, with or without your help, but it will be immensely easier with your help."

=^.^=

It was half-past midnight before everyone was out of the common room so that she could slip out. Many of her fellow fifth-years were up late studying for their O.W.L.s. She made it all the way to the hospital wing with no incidents and was even able to whisper a Silencing Charm on the hinges of the door so as not to wake Madam Pomfrey. There was only one bed in use, so she knew right where Draco lay. She made her way silently to his side. He was very still; the only movement was his breathing. His eyes were closed, one side of his face and his chest were completely obscured by soft white, slightly bloody bandages wrapped firmly around his person. By the light of the moon she could just see the edge of the scar on his chest- it looked to be months old; a shiny pink line that went below the bandages. On his face, the tiny edge of scar was already a barely-there silver. It looked like maybe Snape had gotten him to Madam Pomfrey in time, if they had already faded this much. From what Harry said, the wounds he had inflicted had been quite deep.

Ginny lowered the cloak off of her head, ready to pull it back up if Madam Pomfrey came to check on Draco in the middle of the night. She sat herself on the hard wooden chair next to Draco's bed, holding his limp hand, starring. She didn't know how long she sat there; she must have dosed off at some point, and when she woke, the light from the windows had started to turn red. She stretched and stood to leave, not wanting to get caught on her way back to Gryffindor Tower, when Draco's whisper reached her.

"Gin-ny," his voice was slurred and thick.

Ginny's eyes flicked from his face to Madam Pomfrey's door before she sat down and took Draco's hand again. He still did not move or open his eyes.

"Go eas-y on Har-ry," he managed.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked, her heart squeezing painfully that he was defending what Harry had done despite his current circumstances. He had changed so much this year from the boy of the previous five.

"Off an-d on. The pot-ions Mad-am Pom-frey gave m-me com-pletely num-bed and im-mobilized m-me so th-the dittany could work to com-mpletely heal… wounds so there w-wouldn't be any s-scars," he struggled to make himself clear, his lips seeming to stick when they met for every 'm'. "They're j-ust now starting to wear-off."

"Is that why you won't open your eyes and look at me?" asked Ginny hesitantly. She saw the corner of his lips twitch in the shadow of a smirk before answering.

"That and," he swallowed thickly as two small bright patches flared on his pale cheeks, "sh-shame—at m-my blatant lack of self-control. I let myself get w-worked up into a p-panic." Ginny squeezed his hand in both of hers.

"And what led up to that, Draco? What happened after you left me in the Three Broomsticks?" she whispered.

"I h-have to fix… it b-by the end of the m-month or… he'll kill m-me," he choked out. That meant they had two weeks. Ginny's very bones felt as though they had been turned to ice and she could feel her hands start to tremble. Her breaths came in shallow gasps as she tried to steady at least her voice, glad for once that he wasn't looking at her fighting her rising panic. She managed one deep breath, then another before speaking as firmly as she could.

"We'll figure something out- it _will _be okay," she raised his hand to her cheek, "it _has_ to be," now clutching his hand to her chest. A glimmer caught her eye and she glanced up to see a single tear rolling down his temple. She leaned forward, kissed it away, and whispered, "I love you, Draco Malfoy and I will _not _lose you."

Shuffling footsteps could be heard coming from Madam Pomfrey's office, so Ginny had to release Draco's hand and pull the cloak up to cover her. She slipped out of the hospital while the matron had her back to the door, bent over Draco and checking on his bandages.

=^.^=

Ginny was able to get a few more hours of sleep before she had to get up and eat or else play in the Quidditch final on an empty stomach. Harry had to endure a lot of Slytherin taunts at breakfast, so much so that Ginny felt her ire towards him starting to fade. By the time they had to go their separate ways, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione off to the Quidditch pitch and Harry to his first of many detentions with Snape, she managed a sympathetic smile and a wave. A few hours later, when Harry was crawling through the portrait hole to the roar of celebration, Ginny was grinning and pulled him over to a corner.

"I'm sorry Harry. I know you didn't mean for-" she looked around surreptitiously, "_Draco_," she mouthed, "to get hurt. It would have been worse had you not defended yourself by the sound of it. I forgive you, but more importantly so does he." Harry raised his eye brows. "He told me to take it easy on you," she smirked and shook her head. "He's grown so much more than the spoiled brat of his past, eh?"

Just then, Ron came over to pound Harry on the back and shouting, "We won! We won! Did Ginny tell you?" and then without waiting for a response, he continued to crow, "Four hundred and fifty to a hundred and forty! We won!" Harry was then dragged away to join in the festivities, leaving Ginny feeling a little lighter.

=^.^=

Draco was kept in the hospital wing for the rest of the day and overnight and was finally released the next morning. Ginny had cornered Hermione as the victory party had wound down and began begging for her help in the solution to the cabinet. Hermione was appalled and Ginny completely agreed, but argued it would ultimately be the lesser of two evils because they would be able to warn Dumbledore, who would fare much better off in a duel against Voldemort with all of the teachers there and him being the greatest wizard ever, and it's not that she didn't have faith in Draco, but…

"Yes, Ginny!" Hermione caved after suffering Ginny's relentlessness for over two hours. "I'll help you two. I'm not making any promises, but I'll do whatever I can." Ginny nearly collapsed with relief into Hermione's arms before running up to her room to write a message for Draco to send off with Jasper.

Draco sent back a message in an untidy script. She guessed the potions were at their tale end and he was still working them from his system. The message told her how to get into the Room of Requirement and when to meet. He suggested they come at five-minute intervals so as not to draw attention. Ginny quickly relayed the message to Hermione before both decided to call it a night and get some sleep.

Ten o'clock the next morning found the girls waiting at either end of the corridor. Hermione gave Ginny a nod to let her know that her end was clear and Ginny passed the secret door three times, and then entered when it appeared. The moment Ginny saw Draco waiting on the other side of the door she barely gave herself time to register that he was dressed in his usual "casual" suit (but he had his jacket off and laid across the back of a wooden chair and his sleeves rolled up past his elbows, ready to work) before she launched herself at him. She held him for a moment, relishing his arms around her again and only pulled back enough to gaze at his cheek where the bandages had covered the damage Harry's spell had caused. She ran her fingers over flawless skin before abruptly grabbing his black silk shirt and tugging it out of his trousers.

"Er, Ginny, what're you-" he started to chuckle but was quickly cut off by a searing kiss, effectively snuffing his protest. Ginny continued to shove his shirt up high to see what damage may have been left behind. She sighed shakily when she saw that there was no trace of a scar to mar his alabaster skin. She felt Draco's hands cup her face, guiding her to look up at him. "I'm okay, Ginny. No lasting damage, Love."

She mirrored his actions and cupped his face again, this time their lips meeting in a soft dance that lasted until they heard Hermione clear her throat a little embarrassed for interrupting and at the state of Draco's exposure.

"Erm, ready to get started?" she asked.

They had worked for several hours before hitting yet another wall. With Hermione's help, they had managed to send through a dozen plants and receive them back in perfect condition. They had since moved on to mice that Hermione kept transfiguring from random objects around the room. The wall was the fact that when the mice came back, they were no longer mice, but the objects Hermione had originally transfigured.

At the sound of their stomachs rumbling in unison, Draco offered to sneak them some food from the kitchens. While they waited, Ginny continued to circle and tap the cabinet with spells she was sure Draco had already tried, but she wanted to be doing something to make herself feel useful while Draco was away. Hermione had found a stash of tomes and was searching them for anything that might be helpful to their cause.

Draco returned some twenty minutes later with a bundle of meat sandwiches, cakes, and bottles of Butterbeer for each of them. They sat in silent contemplation, the only sound the occasional page being turned from Hermione or a Butterbeer being set on the stone floor. When Draco had had his fill, he took up Ginny's path of circling the cabinet. Ginny watched as he gazed at it from several different angles and ran his long fingers over its surface as he disappeared behind it. She straightened her spine when he came around the other side with a hopeful smile lighting up his features.

"I've just had a thought—what have we already tried? Every complicated spell we can think of, right?" The girls nodded. Draco continued, "What we have today, I've never had before; strength in numbers. So what if all we need is a simple spell just with more power?" At their uncomprehending faces, Draco barreled on, "What if, with the combined power of three, we cast _Repairo_? I know it seems too simple, but it worked before- at the beginning. That's what I had used to get the ball, quill, and inkwell through and back unharmed, that's how I was able to move on to inanimate living things!"

"It's worth a try," shrugged Hermione, his excitement quickly perking her and Ginny up. They stood in a line with Draco in the center, Ginny stood to his right, and Hermione to his left. They raised their wands, counted to three, and cast. The spells shot forward and combined a few feet in front of them before crashing into the cabinet. It glowed with an eerie white-blue light, like lightening, and vibrated around as though something was trying to get out. After a moment the glow faded and their eyes readjusted to the dim light that normally filled the Room.

The silence that followed was only broken by their breathing. Ginny looked at Draco when he turned to meet her eyes with a grin and when he turned to look to Hermione, she held out a mouse on the palm of her hand with an encouraging smile to accompany it. Ginny watched him take the mouse and walk over to the cabinet, open the doors and let the mouse crawl from his palm to the wooden bottom. He closed the doors, whispered the incantation and again opened the doors. Ginny and Hermione inched closer to look around him and into the empty space within.

"Now for the real test," he murmured and shut the doors. Again, he whispered the return incantation and taking a deep breath, opened the doors. Ginny heard herself gasp and Hermione squeak with joy when they all laid eyes on the mouse that sniffed and scurried around the bottom of the cabinet looking for food.

Their cheers and whoops erupted so suddenly that they startled a few doxies from some of the more plush furniture filling the room. Ginny hugged Hermione, Hermione hugged Draco, and Draco scooped Ginny off her feet in a bridal style hold and kissed her soundly. Suddenly, they heard a raised voice.

"Who's there?"

They immediately fell silent and Draco set Ginny down to reach into his pocket and pull out a bottle full of what looked like ink. He threw it into a stack of old desks nearer the door. He grabbed the girls' hands a split second before darkness over took them. Ginny felt him tug her hand so that she was now holding hands with Hermione before moving stealthily away. A moment later they heard a startled '_What!'_ and then the door click open.

"How—_dare_—you—_aaaahhhhh!_" followed by a small crash as Draco slammed the door shut. Ginny could hear his soft footfalls coming closer and then felt him tip her and Hermione's joined hands and place something dry and papery in their palms. Instantly they could see through the dark and what was in their hands; a shriveled severed hand. Hermione made a sound when she laid eyes on it.

"I know it's kind of gross-looking, Hermione," smirked Draco, "but we can't have you banging into things on the way out." Hermione glared good-naturedly at him. "That was Trelawney, before," he continued. "Let's make our way to the door and listen to see if she's gone yet."

They shuffled along the narrow aisles and when they reached the door Ginny signaled for silence. They heard two voices, one was Trelawney's and the other sounded like-

"Is that Harry?" whispered Hermione.

"I think so, but- it sounds like they're leaving now," answered Ginny.

"Right, I have to tell the Dark Lord it's fixed- I won't be able to keep it from him for long. I'm going to go tell Professor Dumbledore first. I want you two to go back to Gryffindor Tower in case he decides to act tonight. Thank you so much for your help- you've saved my life." Ginny raised her eyebrows, grinning when he pulled Hermione in for a quick hug before turning to her and wrapping her in a tight embrace.

Hermione blinked a few times and then cleared her throat.

"Yes, well… what are—_friends_ for?" She gave a nod and then turned to leave, "Five-minute intervals, right," and then exited.

Ginny looked from the door to Draco's eyes. She reached up and with hands that tangled in his hair, she pulled him down to meet her urgent lips. When he moved the kiss to her cheek and ear, and she had caught her breath enough to speak, she said, "Please be careful; I hate it knowing you're with him. Come back to me, Draco."

He kissed her lips once more before pulling a breath away to whisper, "I promise, Ginny," and then again captured her lips. "You have to go now—we have to go," he said reluctantly letting her slip further away and towards the door.

Ginny ran all the way to the portrait of the fat lady where she met up with Hermione who had just given the password. They climbed in and looked around for Harry and Ron. Ginny spotted Ron sitting at a table by himself half-heartedly working on his homework. She grabbed Hermione's elbow and they hurried over and fell into the chairs on either side of him.

"Where's Harry?" asked Hermione.

"He ran off to meet Dumbledore—Peakes brought him a message about fifteen minutes ago. He thinks Dumbledore found a horcrux!" said Ron low enough for just the three of them to hear the last part.

"He found one?" exclaimed Ginny, looking a little worried, "but what if Draco wasn't able to tell Dumbledore in time?" She shot at Hermione, and then bolted to the portrait, not entirely sure what she was going to do. Just as she reached it, it swung open and Harry was scrambling through as fast as he could.

"Harry! Thank goodness you haven't left yet!" she panted.

"No time, Ginny, sorry! He did find one!" he added to Ron, then he disappeared up the stairs to his dormitory and was back in less than a minute, shoving his Invisibility Cloak into his jacket pocket.

"Make time, Harry," said Ginny, stepping into his path. She grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to stop and look at her when he made to go around her. She leaned in on tip toes to whisper in his ear, "The cabinet is fixed- Draco has to tell Voldemort, which means whatever he's planning could happen as soon as tonight."

"What cabinet?" asked Harry.

"Dumbledore will understand—make sure he knows! And good luck!" She pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek and let him go. He hesitated and then sprinted back up the stairs. When he barreled back down, he had the Marauder's Map and a pair of balled-up socks in his hands.

"Take these then, watch for anything strange, or anyone who shouldn't be here." He then thrust the socks at Ron.

"Why do I need socks?" asked Ron, bewildered.

"You need what's wrapped in them, it's the Felix Felicis. Share it between yourselves if it comes to that. I've got to go, Dumbledore's waiting."

"No!" said Hermione, "You take it! Who knows what you'll be facing?"

"I'll be fine, I'll be with Dumbledore," said Harry, pulling her into tight hug and kissing her temple. Ginny couldn't help but grin when Hermione pulled him down by his messy hair (not unlike she herself had done with Draco no more than thirty minutes ago) and pressed a heated kiss to Harry's lips. When she released him, Harry straightened his glasses and cleared his throat, "I'll see you later…" he croaked hoarsely, and then left.

They couldn't know that the grins that adorned their faces would be the last ones for a long time.


	17. Chapter 17: Horrible Victory

**A/N: Hello my faithful readers! This is not a dream- I have actually updated within a week of a previous update! This is the fastest follow up I've ever done! *high five* It's all for you :3**

**Some material taken from HBP chapters 27-29.**

Chapter17: Horrible Victory (Draco)

Draco hurtled down the corridor away from the Room of Requirement and towards Dumbledore's office. As he turned into the final corridor, Snape came around the corner at the same time and they very nearly crashed to the floor but managed to catch themselves on the walls.

"Mr. Malfoy," Snape said in his quiet anger, straightening his robes, "what is the meaning of this?"

"Sorry, Professor," he panted, "I've got to speak to Professor Dumbledore; I've done it."

Snape stared at him and, in Draco's opinion, spoke _very_ slowly for the urgency at hand.

"You've- done- _it_?" and then it seemed realization caught up with him and he clarified, "You've completed _the task_?" as he seemingly absentmindedly rubbed his left forearm where the Dark Mark lay hidden under his robe sleeve.

"I have," affirmed Draco, not missing the significance of the gesture.

"Show me," said Snape.

"But, Professor, I've got to tell Dumbledore before-"

"Show- me," repeated Snape grabbing Draco's elbow and dragging him back the way he had come.

"Yes, sir." Resigned, Draco sprinted alongside Snape's rushed steps.

After Draco led Snape into the Room (the Peruvian Darkness Powder had faded away completely) and they were standing in front of the ominous cabinet, he pulled out his wand and reached for one of the Butterbeer bottles he, Ginny, and Hermione had left behind and transfigured it into yet another mouse. He quickly stepped forward and placed the mouse inside, shut the doors, uttered the sending incantation, and opened them to show that the mouse was gone. At Snape's nod, Draco closed the doors, said the returning incantation and opened the doors once more. Snape stepped forward slowly and reached in to pick up the mouse that had, in fact, returned whole. He looked at Draco with brows raised.

"Well done, Draco. You are correct in that we need to let Dumbledore and the Dark Lord know right away." He lowered his palm to a chair and let the mouse scurry away, then turned back to Draco. "I will inform Dumbledore, but you must be the one to tell the Dark Lord as it was your task and no one else is supposed to know about it." Draco swallowed, but nodded.

"Yes, sir," he said again.

"Take the cabinet to Borgin and Burkes, Apparate from there- you'll know where to go once you press the Dark Mark, it will lead you to him." Draco sucked in his bottom lip before nodding. "You can do this." And with that, Snape turned and left him alone.

Draco swallowed thickly and took a deep breath. He looked down at his clothes, his shirt was still un-tucked from Ginny's search for scars and one of his sleeves was down, wrinkled, and unbuttoned. He cleared his throat as he straightened and fastened his cuffs, tucked in his shirt, slipped his jacket back on and ran his fingers through his hair. Feeling he should delay no more, he went to the open cabinet and stepped inside. Somewhat awkwardly, he closed the doors using a tiny latch on the inside to shut himself into the darkness. His breathing was loud in his ears as he said the words that would send him hundreds of miles away.

At first Draco thought it hadn't worked; nothing seemed to have changed. So he tentatively opened the doors and peeked out. Instantly he knew it had worked as he saw the display of dark magical objects for sale across from his position inside the cabinet at Borgin and Burkes. He felt his heart sink a little, the success of the moment now leaving a dreadful feeling within him. He stepped out onto the dusty floor just as Borgin came in from another room. Draco straightened his spine, and hardened his voice before lifting his sleeve to flash the Mark at him.

"It's done. We'll be coming back," and then without waiting for a response, he pressed his finger to the center of the Mark. Almost immediately he felt the burning of the answering summons, and he turned on the spot to follow the Mark's pull.

When Draco was able to breathe again after the compressing sensation of Apparating, he opened his eyes. He schooled his features as his own home loomed in front of him. He walked forward and lifted his hand to push open the gate, but his hand slipped right through as if it were made of smoke. Feeling a chill, he hurried up the path to the steps that led to the grand front entrance. He made to open the door when it swung open and two Death Eaters deep in conversation came out and headed down the steps and into the darkness.

Draco was surprised that more dread could be felt as he made his way inside. Death Eaters were milling around in every room he could see. Some were in the process of carelessly pushing the usual furniture up against the walls and a large, dark wood table and chairs were being moved in.

A pale, long-fingered hand clamped down on his shoulder and Draco only just managed not to jump out of his skin.

"Draco, I trust you have good news for me," a high, cold voice said, sending a chill through Draco's spine.

"Yes, my Lord. It is done- the cabinet is working."

Voldemort's hand tightened on Draco's shoulder painfully.

"Excellent. We'll just finish making ourselves at home and then you and the others can be on your way. You know what you have to do and the consequences of failing, Draco. Do not disappoint your master," replied Voldemort smoothly.

"No, my Lord," said Draco, bowing his head.

Draco stood in his family's manor, no longer recognizing it as a safe place, as the dread in his gut grew into a tangible mass in his stomach that he longed to purge himself of. Ten minutes later, Draco led a handful of Death Eaters out of the doors, down the path, and through the wrought iron gates.

"To Borgin and Burkes; Borgin's expecting us," said Draco before Disapparating.

They arrived, quickly filling the confined space of the small shop. Borgin didn't say anything, but just stood behind the counter, watching as they disappeared into the cabinet one by one. Draco was the last one through. When he emerged from the cabinet, he had to squeeze his way through the group to lead the way to the exit. He peeked out and when he saw that no one was in sight, he gestured for the others to go in front of him.

"Oh no," a voice growled, "you first," as he was shoved out into the corridor, but he was soon followed by Greyback, who smirked as Draco regained his balance. "Let's go," he said, flashing his sharpening teeth. He stopped short and spun around when running footsteps could be heard coming from behind them.

Draco's heart sank when he saw Ginny running straight at them with Ron and Neville close behind. Their eyes met, both wide with shock, and he shook his head a fraction before he reached into his pockets and grabbed another bottle of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder and his Hand of Glory. He threw the bottle in front of Ginny's feet, their eyes meeting again just before the darkness swallowed them. He heard Neville yelp when he ran into Ron. Draco grabbed the robes of the nearest Death Eaters and led them to the other side before returning. Holding the Hand of Glory he could see that several of the others had smartly grabbed one another's robes so that they were all able to get out on the second try. He glanced down the dark corridor one more time to see Ginny, Ron, and Neville blindly feeling their way towards his end of the corridor. _I'm sorry, Ginny_, he thought, and then turned to follow the last Death Eater has he turned the corner.

They ran, heading to the predetermined Astronomy Tower to put up the Dark Mark, but minutes later they were cut off by members of the Order of the Phoenix. Spells started flying in every direction. He heard the witch, Alecto, scream at him.

"Throw more of that darkness powder!"

But Draco ignored her, knowing he didn't have any more and continued dodging the flashes of spell lights bouncing around everywhere. He saw a towering blonde Death Eater shooting off spell after spell, not aiming at all. The name escaped him, but he thought him a fool and shook his head with disbelief when he saw the telltale green light erupt from his wand and bounce off the wall to hit another Death Eater. Draco left the fight and continued to the stairs, climbing all the way to the top. He burst out onto the rampart and saw a figure leaning against the low edge. _No time for the Mark, then._

"_Expelliarmus!_" he yelled before realizing it was Dumbledore. He saw almost in slow motion as the wand flew from the older man's hand and over the edge of the ramparts. He cursed to himself, _slow down, Draco!_ Then his eyes landed on two brooms. "Who else is here?" he asked.

Dumbledore's weak voice barely reached Draco's ears.

"A question I might ask you."

A desperate look crossed his features before he answered, feeling ashamed that it was he who made it possible for his next words to ring true. "There are Death Eaters here in your school tonight."

"Well, well-" said Dumbledore.

_Did he just sound impressed!?_ thought Draco. He looked at the state of the man in front of him and it registered that he was in bad shape._ What's wrong with him?_ "They met some of your guards," he said, feeling desperate to explain, defend himself, "They're having a fight down below. They won't be long… I came on ahead. I—I've got a job to do." He felt lost. He couldn't possibly go through with this!

"Well, then, you must get on and do it, my dear boy," said Dumbledore softly.

There was a ringing silence following this statement and Draco felt the blood leave his face and extremities—the hand holding his wand started shaking. He swallowed, not knowing what to do.

"Draco, Draco, you are not a killer."

Draco whipped his head around to look towards the door when he heard a bang and shouts from below. It sounded like people were fighting on the spiral staircase that led up to where he now stood, petrified.

"There is little time, one way or another," said Dumbledore. "So let us discuss your options."

"I haven't got any options!" cried Draco. He felt like they had wasted all year- why hadn't they discussed this? He was not prepared for this—surely Dumbledore didn't actually expect him to go through with the Dark Lord's order! What was he supposed to do? Desperately, he said, "I've got to do it! He'll kill me! He'll kill my whole family!"

"I appreciate the difficulty of your position," said Dumbledore.

But they were no longer able to speak as footsteps were thundering up the stairs behind Draco. A second later he was shoved from behind as three Death Eaters made their way onto the rampart behind him. Draco was frozen in place as they bantered between them and his headmaster. He did not listen until he heard his name.

"No, we've got orders. Draco's got to do it. Now, Draco, and quickly."

Draco's wide eyes flicked to the brutal-looking face of the Death Eater who had spoke to him, and then turned when he heard yelling from below.

"_They've blocked the stairs—Reducto! REDUCTO!"_

The brutal-faced man forcibly turned him and growled in his face, "Now, Draco, quickly!" Draco flinched as specks of spit hit his face.

When Draco continued to stare between the Death Eaters and Dumbledore, Alecto screetched at him, "Draco, do it or stand aside so one of us-" but she was cut off by the door bursting open and Draco saw Snape standing there. Everyone stared silently between him and Dumbledore.

Snape's dark eyes swept the scene and landed on the crumpling form of Dumbledore. When Dumbledore saw Snape in the door, a distinct wave of relief washed over his features.

"Severus…" he called softly.

The sound terrified Draco past anything he had felt that night. He took a step toward him, drawing Dumbledore's eyes for a second before flitting back to Snape.

"Severus… please…"

Draco stepped up next to Snape who discretely reached out to stop him. Draco looked up at him and saw lines of revulsion etched on his face before he raised his wand and pointed it at Dumbledore- Draco's stomach lurched.

"_Avada Kedavra!"_

Dumbledore was hit in the chest with the jet of green light that shot out of Snape's wand. His body seemed to glow as it was knocked back and, limply, fell over the battlements.

Before Draco could register what had just happened, Snape had turned and grabbed him by the elbow and began dragging him towards the door.

"Out of here, quickly," he said to them.

Draco followed in a daze of horror. _I can't believe he just—that didn't just… No no no…_ He stumbled down the stairs right behind Snape with the foul stench of Greyback close behind him, the others thundering along beyond. He heard a voice shout from above and heard a thump, but kept running under the threat of being trampled by those following behind him.

"It's over, time to go!" shouted Snape as they burst out of the Astronomy Tower and into the corridor where there was still a battle raging. Several bodies littered the floor and Draco felt his heart threaten to burst from his throat when he saw the flash of a red haired someone lying very still in a pool of blood. He only had time to register that it was a man and not Ginny before he was jostled to the side as Amycus and Alecto ran past them. As some of the Order leapt back into the fray to engage those who had been on the ramparts, Snape pushed him into a doorway to keep them from getting hit by a stray spell. When it was safe enough, he was hauled out and nearly dragged down the corridor. They had only gone a few paces when he spotted Amycus giggling and throwing hex after hex at Ginny while she dodged them.

"_Crucio—Crucio-_ you can't dance forever, pretty-"

Snape pushed him past, but Draco turned at the last second and sent a silent _Impedimenta!_ at Amycus, hitting him in the back of the head, sending him flying face-first into the wall beside Ginny and knocking him out cold. He saw Ginny look to him, gratitude, fear, hurt, and hope all flying across her face before he turned to keep from falling over and being dragged down the stairs by Snape's vice-like grip on his upper arm.

His mind still trying to catch up, Draco allowed himself to be pushed- running faster than he ever had in his life, down the stairs, into the Entrance Hall where he didn't even flinch as Snape blasted open the oak front doors, and into the dark grounds. They were alone and he couldn't hold back his despairing questions any longer.

"Why did you _do_ that?"

Snape continued pushing him to run even faster towards the gates and beyond, where they would be able to Disapparate and escape. Draco knew that if they reached that point, he would probably never get an answer. He stopped suddenly, ripping his arm from Snape's grasp as the latter had continued to run. He turned around and glared, but Draco stood his ground.

"_Why?_" he demanded.

"I did what I had to do, Draco. Maybe one day you'll understand. Dumbledore knew what he was doing—_the whole time_," he added, looking Draco squarely in the eye. He stepped forward to grab Draco's arm again, but Draco flung his arm out of the way, thinking as fast as his whirling thoughts would allow him.

"Are you telling me—the whole time I was up there, with him talking about me killing him—he was _stalling_? Why-" he paused when Snape's mouth thinned and he squared his shoulders. "He was waiting for _you_?" Snape blinked at him and did not allow Draco to pull his arm away this time when he reached for him. He began to move Draco towards the gates again. Draco looked up at Snape's profile. "He _knew_ how this was going to play out." It wasn't a question. When Snape merely nodded, Draco looked forward again. "What are we supposed to do now?" he asked.

They were only about fifty yards from the gates when there was a yell from behind them. They both turned to see several Death Eaters heading their way. One threw _Incendio_ at Hagrid's hut and by the light the fire created, they could see Harry right behind them furiously throwing hexes at their retreating backs. Snape turned quickly to Draco and spoke low and fast.

"We keep doing what he have to—there are things in motion that you know nothing about and it is best that it stays that way. Play your part and play it well, Draco, or you _will_ pay with your life. Be sure of _that_."

Some of the other Death Eaters had caught up with them with Harry in hot pursuit.

"Run, Draco!" shouted Snape and turned to block the spells Harry was firing.

Draco ran but could still hear them yelling. When he reached the gate, he looked over his shoulder one last time and saw Snape bending into Harry's face, bellowing at him. Their voices carried over to him and he could make out the words _"Don't!" _and_ "Coward!"_ before Snape slashed at Harry with a spell he didn't recognize, and then a hippogriff came out of nowhere and began chasing Snape away from Harry. Draco waited until he was sure Snape would make it out and then he spun on the spot and Disapparated to his family home that he now shared with every living Death Eater Voldemort had under his thumb.

**Note: Doctor Who fans will understand if I refer to a "Fixed Point in Time". Rowling wove this intricate tapestry of how it had to be in order for Harry to succeed and I felt I could not unravel it in a way that was not completely ridiculous and unbelievable (even with magic at my fingertips). This story's focus was the change in Draco, not so that everything would turn out golden for all the good guys. Don't hate,**

"**I'm so, so sorry."**

**Binx =^.^=**


	18. Chapter 18: Crushing Conquest

**Final A/N: Thank you to all who followed me on this journey and had MUCH patience with my INCREDIBLY slow pace of writing. Material from HBP chapters 29-30. I own nothing you might recognize in the slightest.**

Chapter 18: Crushing Conquest (Ginny)

With the retreat of the Death Eaters and the injured on their way to the hospital wing, Ginny put off finding out how bad Bill's injuries were and went to find Harry. He had flown after Snape and Draco like a mad man and she wanted to know why. She slowly made her way down the stair cases and into the Entrance Hall. Gryffindor rubies covered the floor like so many drops of blood, making her shudder. Out on the grounds she saw a small crowd gathered at the base of the Astronomy Tower. Fang was howling beside Hagrid who was crouched over Harry's kneeling figure. She heard Hagrid murmuring to him as she made her way to stand next to him.

"C'mere, Harry…"

"No."

"Yeh can' stay here, Harry… Come on, now…"

"No."

Ginny's breath hitched when she realized who lay on the ground and what it meant before she was able to make herself move forward.

"Harry, come on," she said numbly. She knelt down and gently touched Harry's cheek, turning him from the heartbreaking sight of Dumbledore's broken body. Sniffles and sobs broke the silence every few seconds; Ginny clenched her teeth to keep her own emotions at bay. Harry allowed himself to be pulled away by her and she led him back into the castle.

"We're going to the hospital wing," she told him gently.

"I'm not hurt," said Harry.

"Everyone's up there, Ron and Hermione and Lupin and everyone-"

"Is anyone else dead?" he asked quietly.

"None of us, but Bill-" she hesitated as a tremor threatened to break her voice. "Bill's a bit of a mess. Greyback attacked him. McGonagall wasn't sure if even Madam Pomfrey could- she says he won't- won't look the same anymore… I mean, Greyback wasn't transformed at the time, so we don't know what will happen…" she trailed off.

They walked the rest of the way in silence.

When they walked through the doors, they saw the others grouped around the bed in the corner. Ron, Hermione, Lupin, Tonks, and Professor McGonagall looked up when they heard them coming. Hermione broke off and ran to Harry, throwing herself into his arms.

"Are you all right, Harry?" she asked him.

"I'm fine, how's Bill?" he asked, taking her hand as the three of them walked over to the group. No one spoke, but instead looked back to where the man in question lay.

Ginny hadn't seen him before she left to find Harry—she hadn't been able to bear to see him then and she had to force herself to look now. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry. She wished Draco was there with her, to hold her hand. Ron reached out and put his arm around her, hauling her to his side, the sight that met her eyes made a lump rise in her throat so large it was hard to breathe. Silent tears streamed forward as she gazed down at his slashed and ripped face. Madam Pomfrey was dabbing a sharp-smelling green ointment onto the wounds. She thought of Draco's healed and flawless skin.

Her voice warbled around the lump in her throat as she asked, "Can't you fix them with a charm and dittany?"

The matron glanced at her with a knowing look before turning back to her task, "No charm will work on these. I've tried everything I know, but there is no cure for werewolf bites."

"But he wasn't bitten at the full moon and Greyback wasn't transformed, so, so surely Bill won't be a—a real-?" Ron turned his questioning gaze at Lupin. Everyone turned hopefully at him.

"No, I don't think that he'll be a true werewolf," said Lupin, "but that doesn't mean he won't have some wolfish tendencies from now on. Those are still cursed wounds."

"Maybe Dumbledore will know something, Bill was fighting on his orders. Dumbledore owes him at least a-" Ron interjected.

"Dumbledore's dead," said Ginny, barely above a whisper, but everyone heard her.

"No!" yelled several voices at once.

"How did- what happened?" asked Tonks.

"Snape killed him," Harry spoke up, "I was there, I saw it. Dumbledore and I had left before and when we came back, we flew to the Astronomy Tower because it was the closest to the hospital wing. Dumbledore was… ill," he explained. "He heard footsteps coming up the stairs and immobilized me under my Invisibility Cloak, I couldn't do anything—and then Draco came through the door and disarmed him, but I could see he had panicked, probably not expecting someone to be there already," he added when Ginny blanched. He continued, "More Death Eaters arrived—and then Snape came and—he did it," he ended quietly.

Ginny gave a shuddering breath as more silent tears fell from her eyes and off her chin. She wandered over to the window at the head of Bill's bed, suddenly feeling claustrophobic in her own head; she threw it open to breath in the cool fresh air. She took deep, noisy breaths until she felt faint and she had to hold her breath to clear her head. It was then that she heard it; phoenix song.

"Listen," she croaked. She could feel her grief as it was sung back to her, she didn't know why it eased her pain to listen to it, but she drank in the feeling greedily until Professor McGonagall came through the hospital doors and spoke, breaking the spell of miniscule peace.

"Arthur and Molly are on their way. Harry," she said gently, "what happened?"

"Snape killed Dumbledore," answered Harry hollowly.

"Snape," repeated McGonagall as she collapsed onto the bed next to Bill's. "We all wondered, but he trusted… _always_… I can't believe it…"

"He was a highly accomplished Occlumens," said Lupin harshly. "We always knew that."

"But Dumbledore swore he was on our side!" whispered Tonks. "He always hinted that he had an ironclad reason for trusting Snape… I wish we knew what it was."

"I know," said Harry. Ginny, along with everyone else looked to him, surprise written all over their faces. "Snape was the one who passed information to Voldemort that sent him after my parents. Then he told Dumbledore that he was sorry he had done it and that he hadn't known what Voldemort was going to do."

"Dumbledore believed him?" Lupin asked incredulously. "Snape hated James!"

"And I know he didn't care for my mother, either," said Harry.

Ginny sat in the silence that followed this new information, processing it slowly.

McGonagall was the first to speak again. "How did the Death Eaters get in?"

"It was Draco, Professor," said Ginny. She explained about her talking to him on the train at the beginning of the year and about the meeting with Dumbledore.

"He _encouraged_ Mr. Malfoy to complete it? But-" McGonagall paused, thinking. "He knew if Voldemort found out he wasn't doing anything, he would kill him—Oh, _Dumbledore!_" she finished in a wail into a tartan edged handkerchief she pulled out of thin air.

"He probably didn't think Draco would succeed," commented Lupin.

"But he had to!" defended Ginny, going red when she and Hermione glanced uncomfortably at one another. "Voldemort would have killed Draco's whole family! He had to!" she said again, swiping at a tear that had fallen.

"No one blames him, Ginny," said Ron soothingly, wrapping her in a hug. Ginny hugged him hard back. It meant more to her that he was the one who had said it than had it been anyone else.

"Thank you, Ron!" she whispered just for him to hear. He simply rubbed her back in reply.

At that moment, Ginny heard her father and mother come bursting into the room, Fleur close behind, and McGonagall jumped up.

"Arthur, Molly! I am so sorry!" she gestured to the bed where Bill lay.

Ginny's heart squeezed painfully and she felt more tears spill over her cheeks when she heard the hitch in her father's breath and the strangled cry of, "Oh, Bill!" from her mother.

"You said Greyback attacked him?" asked her dad.

Lupin jumped in to answer and cover their previous conversation on the matter while Mrs. Weasely took over dabbing the ointment on Bill's wounds. "Yes, but he wasn't transformed; it's a unique case and we don't know what will happen to Bill."

"And Dumbledore… is it true…?" he turned to Professor McGonagall for confirmation this time, and Ginny could see him age in the second it took McGonagall to nod.

Ginny looked over to her mother when she heard a great sob come from Bill's bed, but she seemed to be in her own world. "It doesn't matter how he looks… It's not r-really important… He was so handsome- always- and…he was going to b-be married!"

"What do you mean, 'was'?" said Fleur suddenly and loudly. "He is still handsome! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave! And yes, we are still getting married! Do you theenk that because of these bites he will not love me? Because he will! And I will do zat!" she said fiercely, pushing Ginny's mum out of the way and snatching the ointment from her hands.

Everyone looked between the two women nervously until Ginny's mum spoke softly. "Our Great-Auntie Muriel has a very beautiful tiara- goblin-made—that would look lovely with your hair."

All eyes bounced to Fleur, "That would be lovely, thank you," she said stiffly and then they startled Ginny when both burst into tears and threw their arms around each other.

"You see!" burst out Tonks, causing Ginny to jump again. She had forgotten she was there. "She still wants to marry him; she doesn't care he's been bitten!"

Ginny turned to see who she was talking to and was surprised that Lupin's face had turned a bit pink as he responded.

"It's different," he said quietly, "Bill will not be a full werewolf -"

"But I-Don't-Care!" wailed Tonks, stepping forward to grasp the front of his robes and shake them. "I've told you a million times!"

"And I've told you a million times that I'm too old for you—too old, too poor…too dangerous…" he said forlornly to the floor.

"I've said you've been ridiculous about this whole thing the whole time, Remus," said Ginny's mum suddenly from over Fleur's shoulder.

"I'm not being ridiculous! She deserves someone young and whole-" he said steadily, but Ginny's dad spoke up.

"But she wants you, and young and whole men do not always remain as such," he said sadly looking over to Bill lying so still under the blankets of his cot.

Ginny shivered at his words, thinking of Draco. Right now he was with Voldemort and all of his followers—with Dumbledore's murderer—having to do who knew what, or possibly having it done to him. She felt like a band was around her chest and she couldn't breathe properly. There wasn't enough oxygen getting to her lungs… Completely unnoticed and feeling dizzy, Ginny sat down and put her head between her knees and forced herself to breathe slowly and deeply until she could sit up again. By then, she was surprised to see that Professor McGonagall and Harry had disappeared and everyone was lost in their own thoughts.

A clock began to chime from somewhere deep in Madam Pomfrey's office, startling Ginny's mum into mum-mode.

Without waiting to hear what hour it was, she turned to Hermione, Ron, and Ginny and said gently but firmly, "You lot should head to bed," as she and Ron started to protest, they were quickly cut off by their father.

"We will be staying here, if anything happens we'll get you. Please go."

They trudged quietly out of the hospital wing and up to their common room. It was jam packed but they didn't make eye contact with anyone and went straight to their respective dormitories. Ginny quietly climbed the stairs, a hollow ache slowly growing in her chest, a fear for Draco's safety. She longed to write to him, but would not chance it falling into the wrong hands. She climbed into bed without undressing and pulled the blankets up to her chin.

_When will I hear from him? Will I hear from him? When will I see him again? What's going to happen now? Would Voldemort punish him for not going through with his task?_

She curled into a tight ball as ice seemed to fill in the hollowness of her chest as she answered the last question: _yes._ And then she heard her father's words again, _"…young and whole men do not always remain as such…"_ Terror, like none she had ever felt in her entire life, filled her, immobilized her, and left her breathless. It took several minutes for the building panic to boil over. She snatched her wand from her night stand, pulled her curtains, cast a Silencing Charm on her bed, buried her face into her pillow and screamed. She screamed until she felt her throat would tear. She screamed until she could taste the metallic flavor of blood in her throat. She screamed for Dumbledore, for Harry, and especially for Draco and Godric-knew what was happening to him at the hands of Voldemort.

=^.^=

Lessons and exams were postponed. Many students were gone by the next morning- their parents having come to get them in the middle of the night. Hundreds of witches and wizards were swarming all over Hogsmeade, she heard Hagrid telling her parents the next day- they were all coming to pay their last respects to Dumbledore.

Ginny spent all her time with Ron, Harry, and Hermione sitting in the wide windows of Gryffindor tower, reading the newest issues of either the _Daily_ or the _Evening Prophet_ for any news on Snape or otherwise. They would go round and round about how they couldn't have known that the book Harry had been using all year in Potions had been Snape's own book. They had all finally filled Ginny in on what had been happening in their Potions class all year. Harry felt terrible about having defended it at all and they told him that he was taking on too much blame for what happened.

"Clearly there was nothing anyone could say to Dumbledore to take away his trust in Snape, no matter how off it turned out to be, Harry!" Ginny argued on one such occasion.

Harry always grew angry whenever the subject was broached no matter what they said, and so they would walk off the steam by going to the hospital wing to visit Bill. Neville had been released a couple of days after Dumbledore's death.

Bill still looked terrible- a bit like Mad-Eye, but thankfully with his nose, both eyes, and legs intact. Fleur told them that the only other thing that seemed to have changed was that he now liked his steaks very rare.

Later that day, Ginny and the others sat in the Great Hall quietly eating their dinner, each lost in their own thoughts. She figured they were all thinking about the next day when Dumbledore's body would be laid to rest. Despite everyone talking about it, it was still hard to believe that Dumbledore really was gone.

The next morning Ginny rose early to get ready for the funeral; she had packed everything the night before as the school was to be closed and everyone on the train one hour after the funeral. She and her family had already talked to Professor McGonagall and they were cleared to use the Floo network to go home as Bill was strong enough to be moved now.

She took her time washing her hair and then brushing it dry in front of the fire in the common room. The few others who were also up were keeping to themselves as well. She had her best dress robes on and made sure everything was creased just right; her shoes polished to a glaring shine. When she arrived at the Great Hall she quickly found Harry and Hermione sitting with Ron and made her way to join them. Much of the food remained within their prepared dishes as no one seemed very hungry. Ginny buttered a croissant and slowly chewed her way through it. She savored the burn going down her throat from her morning tea and looked around the room; so different now. Dumbledore's throne-like chair was empty while Snape's was unceremoniously filled by Rufus Scrimgeour and the walls were draped in swathes of black fabric that contrasted the glorious sunlight shining in from the enchanted ceiling. Sitting next to Scrimgeour was Percy who refused to look in her or Ron's direction; her face burned with anger but was quickly quashed by sadness that they could not reconcile even when something so terrible had happened, despite Percy's feelings over the man in question. She looked away, refusing to shed a tear this early in the day, and not over _Percy_.

Her gaze moved to where Draco normally sat with Crabbe and Goyle, who were muttering to themselves, looking as lonely as Ginny felt without him sitting between them. Movement caught her eye and she looked back to the front of the Hall; Professor McGonagall had risen and she nudged Harry.

"It's nearly time," McGonagall said. "Please follow your Heads of Houses out into the grounds. Gryffindors, after me."

Benches scraped noisily in the silence that followed as everyone stood to do her bidding. When Ginny made it outside, she saw the lines heading towards the lake where hundreds of chairs sat in rows with one aisle down the middle that lead to a white marble table that stood in the front. There were many others who had already arrived and seated themselves. Ginny recognized those who were in the Order sitting nearest the front, and she was pleased to see that Tonks, who's hair was a vivid pink, was holding hands with Lupin. At the end of the row sat her parents and other brothers- Fred and George looked dashing in suits of black dragon skin, and Bill looked pale but strong sitting next to Fleur. She watched Percy turn a slight shade of green when he glanced in Bill's direction out of the corner of his eye, but still said nothing nor made a move towards his family on his way to sit beside the Minister of Magic. The castle ghosts were nearly transparent in the bright sunlight as they floated next to the lake.

Ginny led Harry, Hermion, and Ron down to the end of a row and sat a few yards from the water's edge. There were whispers like a slight breeze, but birdsong could be heard far easier. Ginny turned to see Luna squeezing past everyone and sitting in the seat next to Ron and Hermione before Hermione had had a chance to sit. A rush of affection rose in her chest when she saw Luna take Ron's hand and pull him down to kiss his cheek. They sat down and he draped his arm around her waist while she rested her head on his shoulder. Ginny felt another pang of longing for such freedom to be with Draco and turned away towards the lake.

She started when she saw faces inches below the surface. A moment later they opened their mouths and began to sing. It was haunting; clearly speaking of loss and despair. She turned to face forward and saw Harry still looking for the source.

"In there," she whispered in his ear and gestured towards the lake. A few minutes later she nudged him again when she unconsciously clutched Harry's sleeve when she saw Hagrid coming up the aisle carrying, what she knew to be Dumbledore's body, wrapped in a golden spangled, purple velvet cloth. Hagrid was crying quietly, his face gleaming with tears.

Ginny felt her own eyes welling up and the first of what would be many tears today fell down her cheeks and into her lap. Hagrid had laid the body on the marble table and a tufty-haired man in plain black robes had begun to speak at the front. Ginny could only hear the odd words here and there float back to where she sat.

A splashing noise to her left drew her attention and she turned to see that the merpeople had broken the surface to listen, too. More movement, this time from the treeline several yards away, drew her attention away from her side as the centaurs came to pay their respects as well. They stayed within the trees, however, never coming into the open.

Screams from the front had Ginny's heart pounding in her throat. Turning again to the front, she realized the little man had sat down and bright-white flames had erupted over the entire table, engulfing Dumbldore's body. Ginny heard Harry gasp when she squeezed his arm in alarm, but she ignored it. In the next instant the fire vanished and left a white marble tomb encasing her former headmaster. People closest to the forest cried out when arrows came soaring through the air, but they fell on the far side of Dumbledore's tomb; the centaurs' tribute. Then she saw them turn one by one and canter back into the shadows. Splashing sounds told her that the merpeople, too, had left. And that was it.

She looked around, Hermione sobbed into Harry's shoulder while he stroked her hair, Ron's eyes were screwed up as though the sunlight was blinding him while Luna quietly held his hand. Many people started to get up and mill around, but Ginny just sat in her chair, staring out over the lake for several minutes. She heard uneven footsteps coming up behind her and turned when she heard Rufus Scrimgeour speak to Harry. They stood and went several paces away until she and the others could only guess at what was being said.

Several semi-tense moments later she watched as Scrimgeour stormed back to his Ministry delegation, Percy's glasses flashing among them as they all turned to leave. She stood to follow Ron and Hermione who had jumped up the moment Scrimgeour had left Harry, but Luna grabbed her hand before she could go one step.

"I think they need a moment," she said.

Ginny stared at Luna's hand on her arm before looking over to where the others now stood talking. She knew Luna was probably right, she just really hated being in the dark.  
"I think that there is something in motion that is beyond you and me, but involves them," Luna continued, nodding at the trio by the lake.

Ginny sighed, "I think you're right, Luna."  
"Still though," said Luna, slipping her arm through the crook of Ginny's elbow when she sat next to her friend, "it sounds like you will be busy this summer, too!"

Ginny frowned. "What?"

"I heard your family talking about a wedding," she said nodding in Bill and Fleur's direction. "It's seems incredible and yet wonderful that something as normal as a wedding can still exist."

Ginny looked over at her eldest brother and her soon-to-be sister-in-law. Fleur was stroking his hair and gently kissing his scars. She had such adoration in her eyes and Bill was just as enamored by her as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. Ginny pulled Luna over and they leaned their heads against the others', thinking of the dark and twisted future ahead for all of the wizarding world.

"Yeah, we do have that to look forward to," Ginny said finally, "We do have that."

=^.^= THE END! =^.^=


End file.
